Texas Southern faces Saint Mary's in NIT matchup

Texas Southern will face Saint Mary's (CA) in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on Thursday evening. The game is set to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT in Houston. The Texas Southern Tigers have a record of 16 wins and 15 losses. They have performed well in their conference, winning 15 of 20 games in the SWAC. However, they have struggled against non-conference opponents, holding a record of 1-10. The Saint Mary's Gaels have 14 wins and 16 losses. Their record in the West Coast Conference is 10 wins and 11 losses. They rank eighth in the conference, averaging 21.1 defensive rebounds per game, with Kennedy Johnson leading the team at 4.0 rebounds per game. Texas Southern scores an average of 66.6 points per game. This is slightly more than the 64.5 points that Saint Mary's allows. The Gaels have a field goal shooting percentage of 43.5%, which is better than the 38.9% that Texas Southern's opponents typically shoot. Key players include Jaida Belton for the Tigers, who averages 6.7 points and 6.8 rebounds. For Saint Mary's, Maia Jones is a standout, averaging 12.2 points and 1.7 steals per game. The Tigers have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, while the Gaels have struggled with a 3-7 record in that same time frame.