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• The Texas Southern women's basketball team is back in action Monday night at Texas A&M for a 7 p.m. tip.
• This marks the third season for TSU head coach Vernette Skeete. This season also marks the first time the roster will be upperclassman heavy after fielding underclassmen-heavy rosters the past two years. Five newcomers were added via the transfer portal and two via the JUCO ranks.
• TSU returns three starters and six letterwiners as the Tigers also underwent a change in their coaching staff as they added a pair of assistant coaches and an operations director in the offseason.
• The series resumes after a one-year hiatus as this marks the 15th meeting all-time.
TSU head coach Vernette Skeete was an assistant coach at Texas A&M under Gary Blair for one season (2021-22). This also marks a homecoming for TSU junior Tiana Mathis as she's a native of Bryan, Texas (Rudder High School).
• Texas A&M was picked to finish 13th in this year's SEC Preseason Poll. The Aggies are 5-5 to open the season as this marks the first of two straight games against SWAC opponents.
• Junior forward Jaida Belton was named to the 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason All-SWAC Second Team. A native of Baltimore, Md., Belton was TSU's top rebounder with seven boards per game while also averaging 8.2 points per contest. She has emerged as one of the top shot blockers in the SWAC with 48 blocks last season.
• TSU ranks second nationally in offensive rebounds (20.6) and 23rd in rebounds (43.6). They rank 21st in steals per game (12.9). Aaliyah Henderson leads the team and is 28th nationally with four steals per game. Courtlyn Loudermill ranks 20th nationally with four three-pointers per game and eighth in minutes per game.
• TSU was picked to finish ninth in the SWAC's Preseason Poll.
• TSU will square off against five NCAA D-1 conferences this year as they'll face teams from the Big 12 (3), American (2), WAC (2), SEC (1), Southland (2).
• TSU head coach Vernette Skeete has yet to win a game in the month of December.
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Source: https://tsusports.com/news/2024/12/16/womens-basketball-heads-to-college-station-tonight.aspx