COLLEGE STATION -- The No. 12-ranked Texas A&M women’s basketball team (2-0) closes out its three-game homestand at Reed Arena with McNeese State (1-2) on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., before traveling to Southern California for the Loyola Marymount Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 24 and 25 in Los Angeles. The Aggies continue to climb in the national polls with a school-best No. 12 ranking in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

GAME DAY PROMOTIONS

Fans who attend both the A&M women’s basketball game against McNeese State and Wednesday night’s A&M volleyball game against Missouri will have a chance to win an Aggie Game Day Prize Pack sponsored by Melrose. Halftime of the McNeese State game will feature Turkey Bowling with a chance to win a Thanksgiving Day feast. Ticket prices range from $11-$5 and can be purchased at The 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at Kyle Field and at Reed Arena.

McNEESE STATE AT A GLANCE

McNeese State picked up its first win of the season with a 64-60 victory over Jackson State on Nov. 17. The Cowgirls’ two blemishes include losses against Louisiana-Monroe (71-53) on Nov. 10 and at the University of New Orleans (70-65) on Nov. 14. A&M will be the first ranked team the Cowgirls will face since a 72-36 loss to defending national champion and then No. 5-ranked Baylor on Dec. 13, 2005. Junior transfer Reeshimah Davis (Houston, Texas) is one of three McNeese State players to hail from the Lone Star State. She previously played locally at Blinn College and has seen action in all three games of the season. Last year, the Cowgirls went 12-14 overall and 6-5 in non-conference play.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

TEXAS A&M

No. Name 2006-07 Stats

10 A’Quonesia Franklin, G, 5-3, Jr. 2.0 ppg, 6.5 apg

3 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, So. 15.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg

21 Morenike Atunrase, G/F, 5-10, Jr. 16.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

24 Patrice Reado, F, 6-0, Jr. 11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg

12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, So. 6.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg

McNEESE STATE

No. Name 2006-07 Stats

14 Brittany Boone, G, 5-9, Jr. 7.0 ppg, 4.0 apg

12 Shante’ Perry, G, 5-9, So. 11.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg

32 Haley Henagan, F, 5-9, Sr. 3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg

33 Jessica Hooker, F, 5-10, Jr. 6.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg

42 Joanna Klutarich, C, 6-3, Jr. 0.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg

SERIES NOTES

A&M holds a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series versus McNeese State. The Aggies have won the last five-straight meetings between the two schools including a 96-45 (+51) win in 2004-05 and 74-48 (+26) victory in 2003-04. A&M is 3-1 when playing the Cowgirls at home in College Station. Head coach Gary Blair is 17-1 all-time against McNeese State in his 22-year coaching career at A&M, Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin combined. This will be the third meeting with the Cowgirls in the Blair Era.

STATISTICAL COMPARISON

2006-07 Category TAMU MSU

Overall Record 2-0 1-2

Points Per Game 83.5 60.7

Scoring Margin +39.0 -6.3

Rebounds Per Game 40.0 38.3

Rebounding Margin +9.0 -2.3

Field Goal Percentage 51.6 42.0

Field Goal% Defense 35.1 38.4

Three-Point FG% 50.0 44.1

Free Throw Percentage 60.4 58.6

Assists Per Game 25.5 12.3

Turnovers Per Game 20.5 26.7

Blocks Per Game 5.5 3.7

Steals Per Game 13.5 8.3

GETTING DEFENSIVE

The Aggie defense has held its last two opponents to 19-or-fewer second-half points. In a 95-41 rout of Mercer on Nov. 16, the visiting Bears scored only 17 points in the second half of play. It was the fewest points scored by an A&M opponent since Saint Peter’s scored 16 first-half points in last season’s home opener on Nov. 21, 2005. A&M also held 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Pepperdine to 19 second-half points on Nov. 10.

DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

Texas A&M shot a season-high 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from beyond the three-point arc against Mercer. The team’s 11 three-pointers was one shy of the school single-game record of 12 set at Brown on Feb. 8, 1996. It was the most three-pointers made in a single game since draining nine against Missouri State in the Postseason WNIT Quarterfinals on March 24, 2005. The Aggies currently lead the Big 12 Conference in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent (12-of-24).

STARKS ON A ROLL

Sophomore Takia Starks (Houston, Texas) turned in a game-high 19 points in a 54-point victory over Mercer on Nov. 16. She shot 72.7 percent (8-11) from the floor and 75.0 percent (3-4) from beyond the three-point arc against the Bears. Starks scored 11 of her 19 points in the first half alone. She is currently the team’s second-leading scorer (15.0 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.5 rpg). It was her second-straight double-digit game after recording her first career double-double (11 points and career-high 11 rebounds) against Pepperdine in the team’s season opener on Nov. 10.

BUCHANAN SHINES IN ROOKIE DEBUT

Freshman forward Damitria Buchanan (Houston, Texas) recorded a near double-double performance with a game-high seven rebounds and nine points in her collegiate debut versus Mercer on Nov. 16. Buchanan played only six minutes of the game and shot 75 percent from both the floor (3-4) and the charity stripe (3-4). It was her first appearance as an Aggie, having not played in the team’s season opener against Pepperdine on Nov. 10. She is currently tied for second among Big 12 freshmen leaders in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and tied for ninth in scoring (9.0 rpg).

AGGIES CONTINUE TO CLIMB

A&M continues to climb in the national polls moving up to the No. 12 spot in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The recent AP selection marks the highest-ever national ranking for A&M. Several top 25 upsets over the weekend contributed to the shift in the national polls. Unranked Pepperdine upset No. 12-ranked Rutgers with a 75-73 overtime victory in the Timeout for HIV/AIDS Tip-off Classic on Nov. 17 in Malibu, Calif. The Waves, who A&M defeated 72-48 in its season home opener on Nov. 10, came close to stunning No. 18-ranked Cal (L, 72-54) in the championship game of the four-team tournament.

Top 25 Poll AP Coaches

Preseason 14 14

Week 1 13 14

Week 2 12

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL (Week 2)

1. Maryland (5-0)

2. North Carolina (3-0)

3. Oklahoma (3-0)

4. Tennessee (3-0)

5. Duke (3-0)

6. Ohio State (2-0)

7. Connecticut (2-0)

8. Georgia (3-0)

9. LSU (5-0)

10. Purdue (5-0)

11. Stanford (1-1)

12. Texas A&M (2-0)

13. Arizona State (4-1)

14. Vanderbilt (3-0)

15. Baylor (3-1)

16. California (3-0)

17. Michigan State (2-0)

18. Rutgers (1-2)

19. DePaul (2-1)

20. Kentucky (2-1)

21. UCLA (2-1)

22. BYU (2-2)

23. George Washington (4-1)

24. Louisville (4-0)

25. Texas (3-1)

All Texas A&M women’s basketball games can be heard via a radio broadcast on the Texas A&M Sports Network with Tom Turbiville (play-by-play) and Tap Bentz (color analyst) calling the action live from Reed Arena on KZNE 1150 AM.

A school-record five national television games highlight the 2006-07 slate. A&M will face Big 12 Conference South foes in Baylor (Jan. 13), Texas (Jan. 21) and Oklahoma twice (Jan. 27 and Feb. 10) on Fox Sports Net. Senior Day against rival Texas (Feb. 28) may be added to the television packet as part of the Big 12’s wildcard game on FSN. The Aggies will also make their first regular season and second all-time appearance on ESPN2, with an end-of-the-year matchup scheduled at Baylor (Feb. 25).

Throughout the 2006-07 season, Texas A&M women’s basketball non-televised home games will be available via a live video and audio feed on Aggies All-Access free of charge on www.AggieAthletics.com. CSTV Aggies All-Access, which debuted in September, is the most watched channel on the CSTV network. Fans can access live and archived audio and video of football, basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, softball, swimming, tennis and more.