ALVA, Okla.- Head Women's Basketball Coach Tasha Diesselhorst and her team will look to build on the home-opener win over Oklahoma Panhandle State as they welcome two conference teams to Percefull Fieldhouse this weekend.

That 83-54 win Monday evening was in Diesselhorst's eyes the product of what can happen when the team comes together and flourishes in the friendly confines of Percefull Fieldhouse. The Rangers will continue their home stretch this weekend with games on Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. against Southern Arkansas, and then again on Saturday afternoon against Arkansas-Monticello at 1:00 p.m.

"I'm excited to see Percefull full, it just gives us that extra bit of energy and we just have a better mindset that the ball's going in the hole when we're on our home court." Coach Diesselhorst said. "We feel like these games this week are both winnable games if we play like we played Monday, we just have to carry that play over."

That home court energy was felt on Monday night where the Rangers posted season highs in just about every major statistical offensive category. Junior Kalea King continued her emergence as the go-to scorer for the Rangers as she put together her second straight 20-plus scoring effort. King shot 67 percent from the field against the Aggies on her way to scoring 23 points in just 24 minutes of playing time.
Other viable scoring threats have also emerged as the Rangers settle into Diesselhorst's offense. It has become evident over the past two games of action that the Rangers have not been hesitant to spread the opposing team's defense and rely on the three-point shot as their main offensive focus. Eight different Rangers have attempted 10 or more shots from behind the arc, resulting in a respectable 29 percent team shooting percentage from long range. The team's reliance on a long-range attack has been propelled by some of the new faces on this year's team. Transfers Kori Barrios and Bailey Forell, as well as freshman Taylor Cell have all shown the ability to consistently test the perimeter defense of opposing teams.

The sharp-shooting Rangers will look to continue their offensive improvement and test a pair of .500 conference teams this weekend. Both Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello went 1-1 during the opening weekend of conference play two weekends ago, and will have to battle the hostile confines of Percefull Fieldhouse to leave Alva with a victory.

The Muleriders of Southern Arkansas come into Thursday's contest with the 11^th ranked scoring offense at 57.5 points a game, and the 5^th ranked scoring defense in the conference, giving up 65.0 points a game. Southern Arkansas faced a pair of Oklahoma schools over the first weekend of conference play, defeating East Central by a score of 54-48 and losing to Southeastern Oklahoma State, 61-77. Freshman Kimberly Crown has led the way for the Muleriders thus far on offense, averaging 11. 8 points a game as well as 6.8 rebounds a game.  
 
The Blossoms of Arkansas-Monticello faced the same opponents as Southern Arkansas, defeating East Central as well by a score of 64-57 while losing to Southeastern 69-72. Monticello boasts the top-ranked scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 50.8 points to opposing teams. The Blossoms also rank at the top of the GAC in three-point shooting percentage at 40 percent as a team. Junior Treasure Evans currently sits in a tie for 3^rd in scoring in the conference, averaging 15 points a contest.

A good showing this weekend will continue to provide the team with the budding confidence Coach Diesselhorst has observed in the early stages of the season. "This is just the beginning of what we hope to build here, so it's exciting to get that first win, but we know it's just the beginning of many more things to come and we're looking for bigger and better things." Diesselhorst said.