FRISCO, Texas (February 28, 2025) – The bracket for the 43rd Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Tournament is set with eight teams heading to Frisco, Texas, and Comerica Center March 6-9.

The eighth seeded UTPB Falcons will battle against the top-seed in the tournament and the No. 1 nationally-ranked team in all of NCAA Division II women's basketball, Texas Woman's University. The Falcons and the Pioneers will square off starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 6.

Despite playing against three of the current top-12 teams in the country during the final two weeks of the season, UTPB enters the postseason on a four-game losing streak and holds a record of 13-15 overall and 11-11 in the Lone Star Conference.

FALCONS UNDER THE LENS
The Falcons' last win came on Thursday, February 13, with a 73-70 victory at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. In the win over the Mustangs, graduate student guard Avalon Munoz hit a contested 3-pointer with 41.5 seconds left to help left the Falcons to the win while fifth-year guard Taysha Rushton played 39 minutes and led all players with 26 points. That win is the reason UTPB is in the postseason after the Falcons and the Mustangs finished the regular season with an identical record both overall and in conference play.

UTPB is 5-9 this season when playing away from the friendly confines of the Falcon Dome. Last season, however, UTPB was the darling of the LSC Tournament, defeating Angelo State University by 20 points, 71-51, in the quarterfinals and upsetting The University of Texas at Tyler 70-68 in the semifinals. The Falcons came up short, 70-60, against No. 11 TWU in the 2024 LSC Tournament Championship game. In that championship game, UTPB took advantage of turnovers and scored 23 points off 16 TWU turnovers. The Falcons were also strong on the defensive boards with 20 defensive rebounds to just eight offensive boards for the Pioneers, limiting TWU to score just three second chance points. Kamryn Lemon had 22 points and was selected to the all-tournament team after averaging 22.33 points, 5.67 rebounds, four assists and three steals a game while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the line.

It was the first time that UTPB had advanced to the Lone Star Conference Championship game and was the Falcons' first conference final appearance in nine years (Heartland Conference – 2014-15). The 2023-24 season was by far the most successful season in UTPB women's basketball history. The team set a record for most wins in a season (24), most LSC wins (17), and the highest standing in LSC history (third place), made its first appearance in the LSC Tournament since joining the league in 2016, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and the first time since 2013.

This season, UTPB lives and dies by the long ball, ranking No. 13 in Division II in 3-point attempts per game (26.0) and coming in second in the LSC and 28th in the country in 3-pointers made per game (7.9). Rushton is 17th in the country in 3-pointers made (70), is 19th in 3-point attempts (202), is 20th in total field goal attempts (400), is 24th in 3-pointers made per game (2.59), and is 38th in points (474). Rushton also leads the LSC in made 3-pointers (73), is second in 3-pointers made per game and 3-point field goal percentage (.344), is third in both total points and points per game (16.9), is tied for fifth in both total steals (49) and steals per game (1.8), is seventh in free throw percentage (.785), and is tied for seventh in made free throws (95).

The Falcons lead the LSC and rank 25th in the country in turnover margin (+4.25) while Munoz is second in the LSC and 46th in the country in individual turnover margin (+1.72). She is also tied for second in the conference with 3.9 assists per game and is fourth with 108 total assists.

On the offensive glass, the Falcons rank fourth in the LSC in offensive rebounds per game (13.1) while Khiara Flugence is 30th in the nation with 3.5 offensive rebounds per game. Overall on the boards, Flugence is third in the LSC in both offensive rebounds per game and total offensive rebounds (99), and is sixth in the conference in total rebounds per game (7.8). Flugence also leads the LSC in field goal percentage (.637), leading the league by .041 percent.

BRIEF LOOK AT THE PIONEERS
Heading into the final game of the regular season, Texas Woman's remained ranked No. 1 in the nation. TWU held strong on both the Women's Basketball Coaches National Poll and the D2CSC Media National Poll this week in the top spot. Additionally, the first numerical NCAA South Central Regional Ranking was released on Wednesday, and the Pioneers were ranked at No. 2. Lubbock Christian came in at No. 1, and UT Tyler ranked third.

The Pioneers currently rank first in the LSC and fourth in Division II in defense, holding their opponents to just 50.3 points per game. TWU is also holding their opponents to shooting 33.8% from the field, which ranks second in the LSC and fifth in Division II.

TWU is 28-1 overall and 21-1 so far this season, with their lone loss coming in a 60-50 defeat at the University of Texas at Tyler on Saturday, November 23. TWU has since won 22 straight games, with the closest game during that streak being the Falcons' six-point loss (62-56) at home to the Pioneers during UTPB's Senior Day on Saturday, February 22.

LAST MEETING BETWEEN THE FALCONS AND PIONEERS
In the last matchup between UTPB and TWU just six days ago, Rushton would score 20 points within the first 24 minutes of the game and finished the contest with 23 points after shooting 12-for-13 from the free throw line. It was her seventh game in a row with 21 or more points. Despite a slow start, the Falcons held the lead twice in the first quarter, outscored the Pioneers 19-11 in the third quarter, and trailed by three (48-45) after a 3-pointer by Makala Bingley in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. UTPB trailed 53-30 after a layup by Flugence and saw Kamari Portalis, Natalie Milwood and Rushton all go 2-for-2 at the free throw line to make it 60-56 with under a minute remaining. However, an offensive rebound by the Pioneers with under 20 seconds left served as the backbreaker for the Falcons. In the end, the Falcons finished with their second-highest free throw percentage of the season, going 25-for-27 (92.6 percent) from the stripe.

In the win, the Pioneers held the Falcons to 56 points – their third lowest point total of the season. It marked the 20th straight game TWU has held their opponent to 56 or fewer points. TWU forced the Falcons to turn the ball over 16 times for 17 Pioneers' points. The Pioneers once again locked down on defense, as they held UTPB to their lowest field goal percentage of the season, 25.5 percent, and second-lowest 3-point percentage of the season, 18.5 percent. In the second quarter, TWU held the Falcons to just seven points, marking the 27th quarter this season the Pioneers have held their opponent to under 10 points in a quarter and seventh straight game holding their opponent to at least one quarter of less than 10 points.

THE REST OF THE BRACKET
Regular-season co-champions Texas Woman's and Lubbock Christian earned the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, respectively, while UT Tyler and Eastern New Mexico are the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Angelo State is seeded No. 5 followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville (No. 6), West Texas A&M (No. 7) and UT Permian Basin (No. 8).

The women's conference tournament begins with four quarterfinal games on Thursday (March 6). The day's first session opens with No. 3 UT Tyler versus No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville at 12 p.m. followed by No. 2 Lubbock Christian and No. 7 West Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. The second session features No. 1 Texas Woman's facing No. 8 UT Permian Basin at 6 p.m., and No. 4 Eastern New Mexico versus No. 5 Angelo State at 8:30 p.m.

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Saturday (March 8) semifinal games at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The LSC Tournament Championship game is scheduled Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. (March 9). The winner of the LSC Tournament earns the LSC automatic qualifying berth in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.

2025 Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Tournament
March 6, 8, 9, 2025 | Frisco, Texas (Comerica Center)
 
Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 6
Tournament Session One
[3] UT Tyler (25-3) vs. [6] Texas A&M-Kingsville (17-11), 12 p.m. CT
[2] Lubbock Christian (27-3) vs [7] West Texas A&M (18-11), 2:30 p.m. CT
 
Tournament Session Two
[1] Texas Woman's (28-1) vs. [8] UT Permian Basin (13-15), 6 p.m. CT
[4] Eastern New Mexico (20-8) vs. [5] Angelo State (17-11), 8:30 p.m. CT
 
Semifinals: Saturday, March 8
Tournament Session Five
Winner (1/8) vs. Winner (4/5), 12 p.m. CT
Winner (2/7) vs. Winner (3/6), 2:30 p.m. CT
 
Championship: Sunday, March 9
Tournament Session Seven
Semifinal Winners, 1 p.m. CT *
 
*Daylight Saving Time resumes March 9
 
LSC TOURNAMENT NOTES
The women share the Comerica Center stage with the LSC Men's Basketball Tournament. The men's quarterfinal games are Friday followed by the semifinal games Saturday evening (6 p.m., 8:30 p.m.) and the final on Sunday (3 p.m.). Ticket information is available at the LSC website LINK.

Tickets for the LSC Basketball Tournaments are available as single session passes priced at $20 for adults and $12 for students. Each single-session ticket includes two tournament games and are redeemable for the specified session only. Tickets are on sale on Ticketmaster and the Comerica Center Box Office.

Suites at Comerica Center are also available and offer the opportunity for fans to watch the tournament in style from one of the venue's premium suites. Suite packages include 14 tickets with the flexibility to purchase each suite on a per-session basis. For more information, click here.

Every game of the LSC Women's Basketball Tournament will be available on FloCollege. Monthly and annual subscriptions are available.