Quality matchups early on can prove to be vital come seasons end, regardless of the outcome.
That will remain true for the South Plains College Lady Texans in the upcoming week as they are set to take on two top 20 nationally ranked opponents in Odessa College and New Mexico Junior College.
After going 3-1 at the Bill Culver Class in Scottsdale, Arizona, and picking up a 68-63 win at home on January 4 against a scrappy Cisco team, the Lady Texans have won four of their last five games with their only loss coming to Mesa in a back and forth 48-45 battle in Scottsdale.
The Lady Texans (12-5, 1-1) will now travel to Odessa on January 7 for a matchup with Odessa College, who are ranked 16th nationally and hold an 11-4 record on the season. Averaging just under 70 points-per-game and shooting 40 percent from the field on the season, Lady Texans head coach Cayla Petree welcomes the competition early on in conference play.
"Odessa is not only one of the best teams in the conference year in and year out, but they're one of the best teams in the country this year," Petree said. "This will be a true test for us, and we've had a lot of similar opponents all year, so this will be a great opportunity to play each other and have a good WJCAC battle."
Tipoff is set for 5:45 p.m. Thursday, will all games being streamed live on the spctexans.com website.
Following Thursday night's matchup, the Lady Texans will host Veterans' Appreciation Day when they take on the #9 nationally ranked New Mexico Junior College Lady Thunderbirds, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 9 at the Texan Dome in Levelland.
Averaging 76 points-per-game and shooting nearly 45 percent from the field on the season, the Lady Thunderbirds hold a 15-2 record and are currently 2-0 in conference play. All in all, coach Petree knows and expects this to be a great matchup with two quality programs battling in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
"As a team we talk a lot about the opportunities we've been given to be a part of college basketball, and anytime we can show appreciation for those people who have done things for our country, we're 100 percent all about that," Petree said. "We're excited to have all the veterans come out and have a chance to honor them on Saturday against New Mexico Junior College."
All current and former veterans are encouraged to contact the South Plains College athletics office for free tickets to Saturday's games, or come to the Texan Dome prior to tipoff to pick up tickets and enjoy the games. You can reach the SPC athletic office at 806-716-2221.