UA Fort Smith Athletics

UAFS will begin its final home stand of the season on Thursday when the Lady Lions host the Texas A&M International Dustdevils in Heartland Conference play at the Stubblefield Center.

Tipoff will be 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 101.1 and KHGG-AM 1580. Live statistics and live stream will be available.

UAFS (7-16, 4-6) will look to make up some ground in the conference as conference tournament time approaches. It will be the first of two final home games for the Lady Lions and the first of four final regular-season games. UAFS will host St. Mary's at 1 p.m. on Saturday and will play at Oklahoma Christian at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 and at Newman at 1 p.m. on March 2.

The Lady Lions are locked in a four-way tie for fourth place, and all eight of the league's teams will qualify for the conference tournament. The Dustdevils (0-22, 0-10) are last in the conference.

UAFS has lost three games in a row and is coming off a 70-65 loss to St. Edward's this past Saturday at the Recreation and Convocation Center in Austin, Texas.

The Lady Lions average 63 points per game with two players averaging double-figures in scoring – senior forward Ellie Lehne (11 ppg) and senior guard Mariah Green (10.3 ppg). Green also leads the team in assists (3.7 apg).

UAFS out-rebounds its opponents by two rebounds per game (35.5-33.5), and junior forward Tamera Gulley leads the team in rebounds (6 rpg). The Lady Lions allow 67 points per game and force 15 turnovers per game. Senior guard Daijah Brown leads the team in steals (1.9 spg), and Gulley leads the team in blocked shots (1.6 bpg).

Texas A&M International is coming off a 60-48 loss to Newman on Saturday at the Kinesiology and Convocation Building in Laredo, Texas.

The Dustdevils average 49 points per game, and junior forward Christine Ortega leads the team in scoring (8.8 ppg). Freshman guard Marina Gatica leads the team in assists (1.6 apg). Opponents out-rebound the Dustdevils by almost 12 rebounds per game (41.5-29.9), and junior forward Ciera Walker leads the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg).

Texas A&M International allows 79 points per game and forces 16 turnovers per game. Redshirt junior guard Alliyah Bryant leads the team in steals (1.2 spg), and Walker and junior forward Kendall Alsup lead the team in blocked shots (0.5 bpg).