LAREDO, Texas – McMurry women's basketball will make its southernmost Heartland Conference trip on Thursday evening, when it travels to Texas A&M International University. Tipoff versus the Dustdevils is slated for 5:30 p.m.

The game – as well as the men's contest following at 7:30 p.m. – can be heard live in the Abilene area on KZQQ 1560-AM, as well as on all of the stations of the War Hawk Radio Network. Fans worldwide can listen live via the internet by going to: www.hprnetwork.com and following the links to listen live.

The War Hawks (5-9) will be playing their 13th game of the season away from their home floor (out of what will be 15 contests, thus far, in 2012-13).

TAMIU (5-10) will have a decided advantage in experience entering the game, with 11 of its 14 roster players listed as either a junior or senior. Conversely, just seven of 15  War Hawks have surpassed their sophomore year of eligibility.

The outcome of the game may very well be decided by which team's defense can gain the upper hand. Both teams rank in the lower half of most offensive statistical categories in the Heartland Conference.

However, both have also seemed to find their niche on the defensive side of the court. TAMIU ranks fourth in field goal percentage defense (.385), with McM fifth (.389). The Dustdevils and War Hawks are 1-2, respectively, in three-point percentage defense (.261 to .266 percent).

McMurry is fourth in steals (9.6 s.p.g.), while TAMIU is seventh (9.1 s.p.g.).  In blocked shots, the War Hawks rank second (4.4 b.p.g.) and the Dustdevils eighth (2.1 b.p.g.).

TAMIU's Tina Dang enters the game as the Heartland's third-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. Dang is the HC's top three-point shooter, canning an average of 3.1 treys per game.

Malika Jackson ranks eighth in rebounding (6.5 r.p.g.). She is also fifth in field goal percentage, making good on 51-of-100 from the field (51 percent). TAMIU teammate Samantha Chacon is third in the league in assists (3.9 a.p.g.). Chacon and Jackson average 12.2 and 9.1 points per game, as well.

McMurry junior Keshia Collins as been the catalyst of consistency on McMurry's team as it ventures through its first year of NCAA Division II competition. Collins finds herself 12th in scoring  (12.6 p.p.g.) in the Heartland Conference, as well as tied for fifth in rebounding (7.0 r.p.g.). She leads the HC in steals with 3.0 thefts per game and is fourth in blocks (1.1 b.p.g.).

Collins has had to be one of the things McM head coach Dr. Veronica Snow can count on in 2012-13, considering that she has not had her entire compliment of roster players all available to her in the same game yet this season for one reason or another.

Senior point guard Rikeita Thomas has contributed 9.0 p.p.g. and 2.6 r.p.g. Freshman Claire Bruffey (6.1 p.p.g.) has come off the bench to provide a lift, as has senior M.J. Vickers (5.0 p.p.g.). Vickers has appeared in just six games since joining the roster following McM's volleyball season.

McMurry enters the game after a 69-54 loss at home to Oklahoma Christian University a week ago. TAMIU fell to Arkansas-Fort Smith, 70-64, last Saturday.