ODESSA, Texas (January 5, 2026) – Thanks to the generosity and support of Edgardo Madrid & Associates, The University of Texas Permian Basin Athletics Department has announced graduate students Tash Lunday (Men's Basketball) and Kenadi Rising (Women's Basketball) as the December Student-Athletes of the Month.

UTPB Athletics will be recognizing one male and one female student-athlete each month as the Edgardo Madrid and Associates Student-Athletes of the Month. At the end of the 2025-26 athletics season, one male and one female student-athlete will be selected as UTPB's Edgardo Madrid and Associates Student-Athletes of the Year.

Lunday, a graduate student forward from Flandreau, South Dakota, started in all six games for the men's basketball team in December, logged 37.8 minutes per game, and averaged nearly 20 points per game (19.3) while adding 7.8 rebounds per game. He shot 50 percent (34-68) from the field and 91.5 percent (43-47) from the free throw line, and also led the team in 3-point field percentage (41.7 percent; 5-12). He scored at least 23 points three times during the month and paced the team in points in five out of six games, and had at least nine rebounds in four games while leading the team in rebounds in five games as well. He also made double-digit free throws in three games.

Lunday paced the Falcons with 18 points and nine rebounds at No. 4 Lubbock Christian (Dec. 3), and was again the Falcons' leading scorer with 24 points while shooting 10-for-11 from the free throw line at Midwestern State (Dec. 5). He added 10 points and nine rebounds in UTPB's first home conference game of the season vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville (Dec. 11), and then led all players with 23 points while shooting 11-for-12 from the free throw line and adding seven rebounds vs. Texas A&M International (Dec. 13). At the River City Holiday Classic in San Antonio, Lunday played all 40 minutes and led the Falcons with 18 points while also pulling down a game-high nine rebounds and again going 10-for-11 from the free throw line in a big win over Pittsburg State (Dec. 16). The next day against No. 20 Arkansas Fort Smith, Lunday finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, his fifth 20-point game and fourth double-double of the season, and shot a season-high 69.2 percent (9-13) from the field.

During each of the first two months of the season, Lunday has led UTPB in scoring, rebounding, field goals made, 3-point percentage, free throws made and free throws attempted. By the end of December, Lunday ranked among the top-10 in the Lone Star Conference in 16 different categories, including ranking first in free throws made (78), free throws attempted (90) and minutes per game (36.2). He also ranked third in points per game (18.5), total rebounds (104), offensive rebounds (38), defensive rebounds (66) and free throw percentage (.867); was fourth in points (222), rebounds per game (8.7), offensive rebounds per game (3.2), defensive rebounds per game (5.5) and total minutes (434); was eighth in field goals attempted (132); was ninth in made field goals (66); and was 10th in field goal percentage (.500).

UTPB Head Men's Basketball Coach Kyle Tolin said, "I'm really proud of Tash. He is everything you want a student-athlete to be. He is good in the classroom, good in the community, and has been a good leader and player for us on the floor."

Rising, a graduate student guard from Rapid City, South Dakota, started in five of six games, logged 30 minutes per game, and also averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the women's basketball team during December. She led the Falcons in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, field goal attempts (53), 3-pointers made (8), 3-point attempts (20), and free throws made (14). She shot 43.4 percent (23-53) from the field, 40.0 percent (8-20) from three, and 87.5 percent (14-16) from the free throw line. Rising scored in double digits while making two 3-pointers and at least four made field goals in each of the first four games of the month (all conference games), and had at least eight rebounds in each of the first three games of the month. She helped lead UTPB to an overall record of 5-1 in December, including a 3-1 start in the LSC, good for fifth place, and a 4-0 record at home.

Rising led all players in both points (15) and rebounds (11) at No. 4 Lubbock Christian (Dec. 3), and then helped UTPB to its first conference win of the season at Midwestern State (Dec. 5) after leading all players in points (19) and rebounds (8) for the second game in a row and setting new season-highs in points, field goals made (8) and field goals attempted (15). Rising scored 13 points in back-to-back home wins over Texas A&M-Kingsville (Dec. 11) and Texas A&M International (Dec. 13), adding a game-high eight rebounds against the Javelinas and leading all players with five assists against the Dustdevils.

By the end of December, Rising ranked third in the LSC in free throw percentage (.886) and was 13th in free throws made (31), 14th in offensive rebounds (21), 15th in total rebounds (64), 16th in defensive rebounds (43), 17th in offensive rebounds per game (1.9) and free throws attempted (35), 18th in rebounds per game (5.8), 19th in points (115), 20th in defensive rebounds per game (3.9), and 28th in points per game (10.5). In addition, the UTPB defense ranked second in the LSC in opponents' rebounds (30.8) and was fourth in points allowed per game (56.9) and fifth in both opponents' field goal percentage (.355) and opponents' 3-point field goal percentage (.277).

UTPB Head Women's Basketball Coach Rae Boothe said, "Kenadi is very deserving. She had a great December on the court. She competes at a high level and is a great student and teammate. She is one of the toughest players I have coached in all the positive ways. We are so proud of Kenadi."