SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State women's basketball team will play their first games inside the Junell Center of the 2022 calendar year this weekend when they host Midwestern State and Texas Woman's on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
The games will be the Belles' first home games in a month, having last played at home on December 14^th against Huston-Tillotson, where they won 82-39.

This weekend will give the Belles two chances to pick up their first conference win of the season under head coach Alesha Ellis, as well as their first home conference win; the Belles have not won an LSC game at home since beating Texas A&M-Kingsville back on February 20^th, 2020.

Thursday's game against Midwestern State will mark two weeks since the Belles last played on December 31^st, a 71-67 loss to St. Edward's in Austin to open LSC play.

The Belles have four players averaging more than nine points per game, led by Payton Brown's 10.3 points per game. The Lubbock native has scored in double digits in her last four games and in eight out of 12 games this season for the Belles.
Brown also plays an important role facilitating the Belles' offense, averaging four assists per game, fourth in the conference.

Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant and Blakely Gerber are averaging 9.8 and 9.6 points per contest, respectively, while Madeline Stephens scores 9.2 points per game while also leading the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.7 per contest, eighth in the LSC.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
Midwestern State is 7-5 overall on the season and 2-1 in conference play. The Mustangs are 2-3 on the road this season, with non-conference wins against Oklahoma Christian and UAFS. They are coming off a two-game winning streak, beating St. Edward's and St. Mary's this past weekend.

Morgan Lenahan and Frances King are 12^th and 13^th in the LSC in scoring, averaging 13.3 and 13.2 points per game, respectively. The Mustangs lead the LSC with five blocked shots per game, with Hannah Reynolds leading the conference with 2.7 per contest.

Dating back to 2007, the Belles are 16-12 against the Mustangs, having won their last meeting in San Angelo back on March 3^rd, 2020, in the first round of the LSC Tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Texas Woman's is 9-3 overall on the season and 2-0 in conference play, having beat St. Edward's and St. Mary's this past weekend. The Pioneers are 3-0 on the road this season, beating UAFS and Oklahoma Christian, as well as Southeastern Oklahoma.

The Pioneers boast the league's third-best scoring defense, only allowing 57.1 points per game; opponents are shooting 37.7 percent from the field against the Pioneers.

Sadie Moyer leads the conference with 36.4 minutes played per game; she also ranks seventh in the LSC with 14.9 points per game.

The Belles are 14-5 against the Pioneers dating back to 2010, with the Pioneers claiming victory last season over the Belles. Additionally, the Pioneers are 1-1 this season inside the Junell Center, splitting their games during the Angelo State Thanksgiving Tournament back on November 26^th and 27^th.  

Following this weekend, the Belles will go on the road to face West Texas A&M and Cameron next weekend.