SAN MARCOS, Texas – After a season-opening loss against a talented TCU squad on Friday, the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team will see its next action a bit closer to home as the squad makes the short drive to San Marcos for a regional matchup with Texas State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
 
OPENING TIP
 
The Cardinals (0-1) will look to spoil the home opener for the Bobcats (0-1) as both teams seek their first win of the 2016-17 campaign.
 
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
 
Record: 0-1
Last Game: L 64-56 at SMU (11/13/16)
Head Coach: Zenarae Antoine
Leaders:
#2 So. G Toshua Leavitt – 12.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG
#14 So. G McKinley Bostad – 11.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG
#15 Jr. G Ericka May – 10.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Summary: The Bobcats are coming off of a 64-56 season-opening loss at the hands of SMU on Friday at Moody Coliseum in Dallas.
 
Texas State returns 72.8 percent of its scoring from 2015-16, including the team's top two scorers, juniors Kaitlin Walla (10.3 ppg) and Taeler Deer (9.8 ppg). The Bobcats also return more than 70 percent of their rebounding, steals, assists and blocks from last season.
 
Junior Ericka May led Texas State in rebounding last year, averaging 6.8 boards per game. Last season the Bobcats set a school record with 232 made 3-pointers, which ranked 42nd in the NCAA. Walla made 53 shots from beyond the arc over her 2015-16 campaign, tying for the eighth-most in Texas State history.
 
The Bobcats were picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Head Coaches Poll on Oct. 18, with redshirt senior Erin Peoples and Walla each earning a spot on the league's preseason third team.
 
THE CARDINAL FILE
 
Record: 0-1
Last Game: L 88-40 at TCU (11/11/16)
Head Coach: Christy smith (1^st Season)
Leaders:
#23 Sr. F Celia Garcia Paunero – 9.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 BPG
#0 Sr. G Cheyenne Berry – 8.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG
#10 Jr. G Haley Frias – 6.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Summary: The Cardinals are coming off of an 88-40 season-opening loss at the hands of TCU in Forth Worth on Friday at Schollmaier Arena.
 
The Cardinals finished the 2015-16 season with a 6-23 overall record and a 3-15 mark in Southland Conference play. UIW enters its 2016-17 campaign under new leadership and a new mindset after the hiring of Head Coach Christy Smith and a new coaching staff that includes Betsy Adams, John Clark and Marvin Walker.
 
The Cardinals return just 47.8 percent of their scoring from the previous season and will need newcomers to take up a prominent role in the offense.
 
The team is excited to play near full strength with the return of redshirt-senior Cheyenne Berry, who missed the entire 2015-16 campaign due to injury. In 2013-14, Berry redshirted after transferring from Tarleton State. As a junior at Tarleton, she played in 29 games and averaged 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds with a .449 field goal percentage.
 
Junior guard Melina Merritt will serve as an upperclassman leader and floor general. Last season she averaged 6.3 points per game and shot .316 percent from the field. Merritt had a team high 85 assists and was one of only four players to see the floor in all 29 games last season.
 
The 2016-17 campaign will serve as the final dress rehearsal for the UIW women's basketball program as the Cardinals play their final season as a team and overall athletic department in transition from Division II to Division I. Starting in 2017-18, UIW will be eligible for postseason play and Coach Smith is hopeful to have the program ready to compete for a Southland Conference Championship.
 
SERIES HISTORY

The Cardinals and Bobcats have met just twice in program history. Texas State earned a narrow 68-57 victory when the teams last met back on Dec. 3, 1982.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Cardinals next head to Missoula, Mont. to face Montana and Utah State at the Lady Griz Classic. UIW will take on the host Griz at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23 and the Aggies at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25.
 
STAY TUNED
 
The Cardinals will host Eastern Michigan in the team's home-opener at the McDermott Convocation Center on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m.
 
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.