Preview: Tarleton State vs. Utah Valley in WAC Women’s Basketball Championship

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — A recent Western Athletic Conference rivalry will be renewed with higher stakes when sixth-seeded Tarleton State faces third-seeded Utah Valley in a quarterfinal matchup of the WAC Women’s Basketball Championship on Thursday.

The game at Orleans Arena pits two teams on divergent late-season trajectories. Utah Valley (15-13) enters having won five of its last six games, including a 71-59 victory over Utah Tech on March 7. The Wolverines swept the regular-season series against the Texans, winning 70-67 on Jan. 29 and 65-51 on Feb. 26.

Tarleton State (13-16) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 65-54 road win at Texas-Arlington on March 5 but has lost eight of its last 10.

Utah Valley’s balance has been key. In the Feb. 26 win over Tarleton, Kylee Mabry dished out two assists as part of a defensive effort that held the Texans to 30.9% shooting. Mabry, a guard, is coming off a 17-point, five-assist performance in the regular-season finale.

Tarleton State will rely on guard Gia Adams, who scored 16 points with five assists in the win over Texas-Arlington. Adams was held to seven points in the most recent meeting with Utah Valley.

The Wolverines have dominated the recent series, winning the last three matchups by an average of 16.3 points. The winner will advance to face second-seeded California Baptist in a semifinal Friday.

Thursday’s contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. PDT.