NEW ORLEANS – Eight of the Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball teams are 1-1 (four in each division) in conference play after the opening weekend. This week, eight of the twelve teams are slated to play on Friday and Saturday.
 
THIS WEEK’S MATCHUPS:
 

Date	Game	Time	Broadcast
Friday, Jan. 8	Coastal Carolina at South Alabama	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Friday, Jan. 8	App State at Georgia Southern	5 p.m.	ESPN+
Friday, Jan. 8	Texas State at Arkansas State	6 p.m.	ESPN+
Friday, Jan. 8	ULM at UTA	6 p.m.	ESPN+
Saturday, Jan. 9	App State at Georgia Southern	3 p.m.	ESPN+
Saturday, Jan. 9	Texas State at Arkansas State	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Saturday, Jan. 9	Coastal Carolina at South Alabama	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Saturday, Jan. 9	ULM at UTA	4 p.m.	ESPN+

(All times listed are Central.)
 
 

• CLEANING THE GLASS – Troy ranks fourth in the nation in total rebounds with 459 (305 Def., 154 Off.).
• MOVING UP THE CHARTS – Arkansas State ranks 15^th in Scoring Offense (85.0 ppg) and tied for 20^th in Scoring Defense (55.0 ppg) in the country.

 
Arkansas State’s 20.8 assists per game ranks fourth in the country and is just 0.4 from cracking the Top 3.
 
EAST DIVISION:
 
COASTAL CAROLINA (3-1, 0-0 SBC) at SOUTH ALABAMA (4-4, 1-1 SBC)
Coastal Carolina travels to Mobile this weekend to face South Alabama. The series is tied 4-4 with 2-2 splits on the road and home for both teams. The last time both these teams met last year the Chants took both meetings. Coastal is coming off an unscheduled open week last week which was the start of conference play marking this weekend their official conference kickoff weekend. South Alabama enters the second weekend of Sun Belt action after going 1-1 against Georgia Southern last weekend at home. The Jaguars took the first game on Friday night, 71-65, and fell on Saturday, 78-71. The Jaguars this season are averaging 69.2 ppg and have held opponents to 64.2 ppg.  South Alabama has grabbed 306 (Off: 102; Def: 204) rebounds this season, while its opponents have grabbed 302. The Jaguars own South Alabama’s Mahogany Vaught is averaging 13.9 ppg to rank 10^th in the Sun Belt. Teammates Antionette Lewis ranks 12^th averaging 13.0 ppg and Devyn Lowe is averaging 12.6 ppg to rank 15^th.  Lewis’ .573 field goal percentage this season puts her second in the conference and is first in blocks averaging 2.6 per game (21 total). Coastal this season is outrebounding its opponents 165 to 130 with 70 of those boards coming off the offensive glass. The Chants are averaging 41.2 rpg, while the opposition is averaging 32.5 per game. Coastal is lead in scoring by Aja Blount, who is averaging 17.8 ppg and 8.0 rpg. Blount is shooting a team-high .489 field goal and .444 three-point percentage. Coastal’s Alana Denson leads the team in steals (16) and ranks first in steals per game (4.0) in the Sun Belt.
 
APP STATE (4-4, 1-1 SBC) at GEORGIA SOUTHERN (5-4, 1-1 SBC)
App State is on the road again for the second weekend of Sun Belt play as they travel to Georgia Southern. The Eagles lead the all-time series 38-24 after going 1-1 last year. In the series, App State had put together a 4-0 streak before it was snapped in the second meeting last season. Both teams are coming off 1-1 marks in the opening weekend of conference action. The Mountaineers split with Troy, while the Eagles split with South Alabama. Georgia Southern is one of seven Sun Belt teams with an overall record over .500. Pre Stanley leads the team in scoring (18.0) and three-point percentage (.462). In the eight games, the Mountaineers have played this season Stanley has been the leading scorer in five of them. In her last three games, she is averaging 13.3 ppg. Teammate Michaela Porter in her last three games is averaging 8.0 rpg and leads the team in rebounds per game (7.9) and total (63). Her 7.9 rpg ranks her 10^th in the conference. The Eagles, who are 2-1 at home this season and are led by leading scorer A’Tyanna Gaulden who is averaging 11.9 ppg. Her 11.9 ranks her 17^th in the Sun Belt scoring. Georgia Southern’s Shondell Vickers is third in the conference and first on the team in rebounding (8.9 rpg). Vickers is averaging a double-double with 11.3 ppg and 10.3 rpg in her last three games.
 
TROY (5-4, 1-1 SBC) at GEORGIA STATE (4-4, 0-0 SBC) - POSTPONED
 
WEST DIVISION:
 
TEXAS STATE (4-3, 1-1 SBC) at ARKANSAS STATE (5-1, 0-0 SBC)
The Bobcats head to Arkansas State this weekend for a pair a game on Friday at 6 p.m. CT and Saturday at 4 p.m. CT. Arkansas State leads the all-time series 7-6 after splitting a pair last year with Texas State. The Bobcats are coming off a conference split last weekend at home against Louisiana. Texas State in its last four games is 3-1 with wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Lamar, and Louisiana. The Red Wolves are riding a five-game winning streak following a non-conference win, 85-39, this past Monday against in-state foe Central Baptist. Arkansas State has yet to play a road game this season. The team’s only loss came back on Nov. 27 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff when it fell, 85-68. Arkansas State that ranks second in the conference in scoring (85.0) will face the second-best defense that has held opponents to 59.7 ppg. The Bobcats this season have outrebounded their opponents 254 to 236 and are averaging 36.6 rpg. Texas State is paced Da’Nasia Hood in scoring (18.1), rebounds (8.6), field goals made (41), and three-pointers made (13).  Teammate Kennedy Taylor is averaging 11.3 ppg and leads the team in steals with 20. Arkansas State is paced in scoring by Jada Stinson as she is averaging 12.7 ppg. She is one of three players averaging over 10 ppg this season. Jirech Washington in her last three games for the Red Wolves is averaging 9.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg.
 
ULM (2-4, 0-0 SBC) at UT ARLINGTON (3-3, 1-1 SBC)
ULM travels to UT Arlington this weekend for a pair of games that tips off this Friday at 6 p.m. CT and Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.  The Warhawks had an expected 22-day break due to COVID concerns will look to start conference action off on the right foot this weekend. ULM leads the all-time series 34-29 and is 15-15 when playing at UTA. Through the first six games of the season, ULM is one of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, and three-point field goal percentage defense. UTA has held opponents below 65 points four times this season while limiting two opponents to 35 percent shooting or less from the floor and forcing three of their six opponents into 14 plus turnovers. ULM’s Kierra Crockett is averaging 9.2 rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in the Sun Belt and 72nd in the nation. She ranks fifth in the SBC in offensive rebounds (3.7) and defensive rebounds (5.5). Shyia Smith of UTA ranks first on the team in scoring (16.2) and rebounding (6.3). She is shooting 34-of-61 (.557) from the field to pace the team while going 26-of-36 (.722) from the foul line this season.

LOUISIANA (2-5, 1-1 SBC) at LITTLE ROCK (5-4, 1-1 SBC) - POSTPONED

PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Week 1 - Pre Stanley, Appalachian State
Week 2 - Mayra Caicedo, Little Rock
Week 3 - Tiyah Johnson, Troy 
Week 4 - Alexus Dye, Troy
Week 5 - A'Tyanna Gaulden, Georgia Southern
Week 6 - Shondell Vickers, Georgia Southern
 
SUN BELT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
After six years in New Orleans, the Sun Belt Conference Tournament moves to Pensacola, Florida this March with all 12 teams compete in the single elimination tournament. The tournament, which will be played March 5-8 at both Pensacola State Community College and the Pensacola Bay Center, will kick-off March Madness. Pensacola will serve as home to the tournament through the 2024-25 season.