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LONGVIEW, Texas – Calling all halls to Solheim Arena Thursday evening.

LeTourneau University women's basketball team will host Sul Ross State 5:30 p­­.m. Thursday in the first of two games at Solheim this week. The YellowJackets will entertain Howard Payne at 1 p.m. Saturday to complete the four-game homestand.

Thursday's game is being billed as the "Battle of the Halls." The LETU residence hall with the most students in attendance will receive a free pizza party from Papa John's. Saturday's game features a pair of bees, as in the YellowJackets from LeTourneau and the Yellow Jackets from Howard Payne square off.

LETU (6-7, 2-2 American Southwest Conference) is seeking its first win over Sul Ross State (4-10, 2-3) in three years. LeTourneau has had one win over HPU (6-8, 2-3) in its last 12 meetings.

The YellowJackets rank ninth in the country in offensive rebounds per game (20.0). They also are tied for 13^th in NCAA Division III in fewest turnovers per game (13.5).   

GAME NOTES
SCOUTING SUL ROSS STATE
Sul Ross State has lost its last two … The Lobos are 0-6 on the road this year … Chandre Nunez leads SRSU in scoring (16.4 ppg) and steals (2.1), while pulling down 6.5 reb … Maria Maldonado is averaging 10.3 ppg and 2.1 steals … Kaylee Martinez is averaging 9.1 ppg and 8.9 reb.
 
SERIES HISTORY vs. SRSU
LeTourneau is 9-2 against Sul Ross State, dating back to 2009 … The YellowJackets dropped the last meeting in the series, 66-52, in Longview on Dec. 6, 2018 … LETU's last win over the Lobos was a 67-56 verdict on Dec. 3, 2016.
 
SCOUTING HOWARD PAYNE
HPU is coming off back-to-back losses last week … They are 3-4 on the road this season … Chelsey Harris leads HPU in scoring (13.9), while pulling down 5.4 rebounds … Bria Neal is scoring 10.7 points per game and grabbing 5.8 reb … Lily Janek is averaging 9.2 ppg and 2.1 steals per game … Anastasia Willis leads Howard Payne in rebounding (7.6)
 
SERIES HISTORY vs. HPU
LeTourneau is 1-11 against Howard Payne, dating back to 2009 … LETU lost last year's matchup, 78-62, in Longview … LeTourneau's last win in the series was a 75-69 victory at home on Dec. 5, 2015.
 
KJ's KORNER
Jr. G Keanua (KJ) Whitfield was named to the LETU Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team … She is averaging a team-best 15.9 ppg, which is tied for sixth in the ASC … Whitfield scored a season-high 29 points, going 9-for-10 from the free throw line, at Hardin-Simmons … She's reached double figures in all, but one game this season entering Thursday's game … She's averaging 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
 
STREAK SNAPPED
Keauna Whitfield had a run of three straight games with a double-double snapped last week … Whitfield had back-to-back games with 12 rebounds apiece in that double-double stretch … Despite her streak being stopped in the win over Ozarks last week, Whitfield scored 20 points for the third time this season in Saturday's loss to No. 25 UT Dallas.  
 
OK MICAYLA
Soph. G Micayla Mikulski was named to the LETU Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team … She's scored in double figures in four of the last five games, five of the last seven and seven overall … Mikulski had a double-double in the win over Ozarks last week, scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
 
GO WITH THE FLO
Jr. F Flora Akingbade ranks fourth in the ASC in rebounds per game (7.8) … She had 10 rebounds in the win over Ozarks last week, which marked a stretch of double-digit rebounds in five of seven games … She was held to five boards vs. No. 25 UT Dallas last Saturday.
 
CRUZ-IN INTO D3
Sr. G Vanessa Cruz transferred to Division III LETU after playing her first three years at Division II Dominican University of California … She set the Dominican record for assists per game (4.6) in the Penguins' DII era … Cruz leads the YellowJackets and ranks sixth in the ASC in assists per game (3.8) … She scored 14 points, and had five rebounds, in the win over Ozarks last week, her second highest scoring total this season … She's reached double figures three times this season.
 
STEALING THE SHOW
The YellowJackets have had 12 or more steals in nine games this season, including Saturday's game vs. UT Dallas … LETU has had 10 or more steals in 10 games, including both games last week … LETU ranks 28^th in the nation in steals per game (12.9) … The Jackets had a season-high 21 steals in the home win over Centenary on Dec. 7 … Soph. G Micayla Mikulski leads the team at 2.2 steals per game, which ranks tied for eighth in the league … Fr. G Malacia Guy is tied for the 13^th at 2.1.
 
GLASS WORK
LeTourneau leads the ASC and ranks ninth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (20.0) … Entering Thursday's game, the Jackets have grabbed 20 or more offensive boards eight times this year, which included 22 in three consecutive games before being held to 10 boards on the offensive glass vs. UT Dallas … LETU's season high is 35 offensive rebounds vs. Blackburn in the final game of the LETU Holiday Classic.
 
WHO WEARS THE PANTS?
Third-year head coach Cassi Rozanski hired her husband Marc Rozanski as her assistant this year … In 2015-16, the Rozanskis were the only married couple in the nation serve on the same NCAA Division I staff, having done so at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley.
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
The YellowJackets were picked to finish fifth in the ASC East in the league preseason poll … LeTourneau received 52 points … East Texas Baptist was picked to win the East with 21 first place votes and 141 points … Mary Hardin-Baylor was picked to win the West with 20 first place votes and 139.