COLLEGE STATION, TX -- The No. 12 Texas A&M women’s basketball team hosts Texas for the last time as its conference foe on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at Reed Arena. In the first edition of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown, the Aggies and the Longhorns tip off at 6 p.m. on FOX Sports Southwest Plus.
#12/10 TEXAS A&M (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) vs. TEXAS (10-4, 0-2 Big 12)
Game 14
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 • 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989)
College Station, Texas
Television: FOX Sports Southwest Plus
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas leads 58-23
Internet: Free Live Audio and Live Stats at AggieAthletics.com
TEXAS A&M
Record: 10-3 (1-1 Big 12)
Ranking: #12 (AP), #10 (Coaches)
Last Result: W, 75-58 vs. Oklahoma on 1/8/12
Up Next: at Iowa State on 1/14/12
Head Coach: Gary Blair, Ninth Season
Texas A&M Record: 198-82 (.707)
Career Record: 606-245 (.712)
TEXAS
Record: 10-4 (0-2 Big 12)
Ranking: RV (AP), RV (Coaches)
Last Result: L, 51-70 at Oklahoma State on 1/7/12
Up Next: vs. #1/1 Baylor on 1/15/12
Head Coach: Gail Goestenkors, Fifth Season
Texas Record: 94-54 (.635)
Career Record: 490-153 (.762)
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QUICK HITS
• Four Aggies are averaging double figures this season with Preseason All-Big 12 selection Tyra White (14.5 ppg) leading the way. She is followed by Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year Kelsey Bone (13.0 ppg), senior guard Sydney Carter (11.3 ppg) and senior forward Adaora Elonu (11.5 ppg).
• Bone is also leading the team in rebounding (7.5 rpg). Elonu is second with 6.8 rebounds and White averages 5.3 rebounds per game.
• The Aggies lead the Big 12 Conference with a turnover margin of +5.5. The team has also forced its opponents into an average of 21.8 turnovers per game and averages 19.7 offensive rebounds per game, both of which are second-best in the Big 12.
• The Aggies have the 14th-best rebounding margin in the nation at +9.5.
• In A&M’s last four contests, White has stepped up her game, averaging 18.3 points per game, while Bone has upped her stats to 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Carter is right behind averaging 14.0 ppg.
• Texas A&M holds an 11-game home winning streak and has averaged 80.6 points in those 11 contests, while outscoring its opponents by 20.8 points per game.
PROMOTIONS
• Elementary School Night – Elementary students get in FREE! Simply visit tickets.12thmanfoundation.com, click on special promotions and enter the promo code “elementary”.
TICKET INFORMATION
• Tickets are priced at $7 (general admission), $9 (baseline), $13 (sideline) and $15 (courtside), and can be purchased online at: tickets.12thmanfoundation.com, in person at the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office and Reed Arena Box Office or by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.
ON THE TUBE
• Sunday, Texas A&M will appear on the tube for the seventh time this season. Play-by-play announcer Ron Thulin and color analyst Brenda VanLengen will call the action live on FOX Sports Southwest Plus with the game being carried on Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Houston, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports South (Non-Kentucky), Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Wisconsin, Comcast Bay Area, MSG Plus and Root Sports (Northwest Region, Pittsburgh Region and Rocky Mountain Region).
• The Aggies are 4-2 on TV this season.
• The Aggies appear on television a school-record 12 times during the 2011-12 regular season.
SCOUTING TEXAS
• The University of Texas is located in Austin, Texas, has an enrollment of 51,112 and was founded in 1883.
• The Longhorns return four starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s squad that finished the season 19-14 and 7-9 in the Big 12.
• UT made its 25th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11, before falling to Marquette, 65-68, in the first round.
• Texas dropped its first two conference games of 2011-12 to Kansas and Oklahoma, but had won five-straight prior to the start of league play.
• The Longhorns are led by sophomore guard Chassidy Fussell with 15.7 points per game. Ashleigh Fontenette (12.0 ppg) and Yvonne Anderson (10.5 ppg) are also averaging double figures. Ashley Gayle leads the team with 8.7 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name 2011-12 Stats
32 Adrienne Pratcher, G, 5-7, Jr. 7.5 ppg, 4.7 apg
04 Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, Sr. 11.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg
20 Tyra White, G, 6-0, Sr. 14.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
21 Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, Sr. 11.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg
03 Kelsey Bone, C, 6-4, Jr. 13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg
TEXAS
No. Name 2011-12 Stats
12 Yvonne Anderson, G, 5-7, Sr. 10.5 ppg, 4.5 apg
22 Ashley Gayle, P, 6-4, Sr. 5.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg
24 Chassidy Fussell, G, 5-10, So. 15.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg
33 Ashleigh Fontenette, G, 5-8, Sr. 12.0 ppg, 4.3 apg
45 Cokie Reed, P, 6-4, RS-So. 8.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
2011-12 Category TAMU UT
Overall Record 10-3 10-4
Conference Record 1-1 0-2
Points Per Game 72.1 70.2
Scoring Margin +11.4 +14.1
Rebounds Per Game 43.0 43.0
Rebounding Margin +9.5 +5.3
Field Goal Percentage 42.4 42.7
Field Goal% Defense 40.3 31.9
3-Point FG% 25.0 30.6
Free Throw Percentage 63.1 70.5
Turnovers Per Game 16.3 18.7
Assists Per Game 15.5 14.9
Blocks Per Game 4.2 7.6
Steals Per Game 10.2 10.4
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Texas holds a 58-23 advantage in the all-times series with Texas A&M. However, the Aggies have won 11 straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings between the two storied rivals.
• For the second-consecutive season, A&M beat the Longhorns three times last year and have swept the Longhorns in the home-and-home series in 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.
• A&M has won 11 games in the series on its home court, including the last six straight.
• In eight of the last nine contests, the Aggies have won by double digits including a 27-point victory (77-50) over Texas in the 2011 Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.
• Gary Blair is 13-7 lifetime versus Texas in his 27 years as a Division I head coach. All 13 of his career victories against the Longhorns have come during his time in Aggieland. In addition, he is 11-2 all-time when playing a Gail Goestenkors-coached squad in Duke (2-2) and Texas (10-0) combined.
LAST 11 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 67-60 (+7) on Feb. 28, 2007 in College Station
W, 66-57 (+9) on Feb. 9, 2008 in College Station
W, 65-50 (+15) on Feb. 24, 2008 in Austin
W, 68-54 (+14) on Jan. 28, 2009 in Austin
W, 76-65 (+11) on Feb. 21, 2009 in College Station
W, 91-70 (+21) on Jan. 9, 2010 in Austin
W, 58-44 (+14) on Feb. 20, 2010 in College Station
W, 77-64 (+13) on March 12, 2010 in Kansas City
W, 80-65 (+15) on Jan. 19, 2011 in College Station
W, 68-65 (+3) on Feb. 27, 2011 in Austin
W, 77-50 (+27) on March 9, 2011 in Kansas City
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
• The "Lone Star Showdown" is the official moniker for all varsity men's and women's athletics competition between Texas A&M University and The University of Texas.
• The last two seasons, Texas A&M women’s basketball held on to the Lone Star Showdown trophy, its fourth-straight and fifth overall claim to the hardware in the seven-year history of the rivalry series. The women’s basketball team swept UT each of those years to earn a full point toward the final point count. • In its eighth year of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown, Texas leads overall, 5.0-1.0. Each women’s hoops game between the two schools is worth 0.5 points and the school that totals 10.0 points during the year is declared the winner.
TEXAS REPLAY
• Danielle Adams scored 23 points, and Sydney Colson and Tyra White each added 14 as No. 8 Texas A&M cruised past turnover-prone Texas 77-50 to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. Texas committed 31 turnovers, one shy of the tournament record, and was held to its lowest points total of the season. The Aggies defeated their rival for the third time this season, and the tournament win was the most convincing of the three. Chelsea Bass came off the bench to lead Texas with 11 points. Texas A&M's stifling perimeter pressure proved more than Texas could handle in a first half dominated by the Aggies. Texas A&M scored 23 points off 17 turnovers over the first 20 minutes. The Aggies had 11 steals in the first half, with Sydney Carter and Colson getting three apiece. With the transition points coming in abundance, Texas A&M shot 53.3 percent in the first half and sprinted to a 41-24 lead. Texas shot just 28 percent from the floor in the first half.
RPI RATING
• In the most recent release of the NCAA RPI on Jan. 9, Texas A&M was ranked eighth. Tennessee holds the top spot followed by Baylor, Delaware, Stanford, Connecticut, Maryland and Notre Dame. Kansas State and Rutgers round out the top 10.
DEFENDERS OF THE HOME COURT
• Texas A&M has protected its home court well over the last seven seasons with the help of the 12th Man. In fact, the Aggies have compiled an unprecedented 88-8 (.917) overall success rate at Reed Arena in those years, including a 13-1 mark last season and a perfect 16-0 home stand in 2006-07. The eight tallies in the home loss column have only occurred during Big 12 Conference play against nationally-ranked league foes.
• The Aggies have won 48 straight non-conference home games, dating back to a 40-46 loss to Houston on 12/30/03. In addition, A&M has won 76 of its last 82 home games.
AGGIES’ AT REED ARENA (SINCE 2005-06)
2011-12 6-0
2010-11 13-1
2009-10 12-2
2008-09 13-1
2007-08 14-2
2006-07 16-0
2005-06 14-2
Total 87-8
AGGIE ATTENDANCE
• Texas A&M finished its 2010-11 regular season averaging a program-best 6,104 fans at each home game, which ranked fourth-best in the Big 12 and 12th-best in the country in attendance. A&M has been in the top 25 in national attendance for the past four seasons.
• After six home games this season, the Aggies are averaging 6,102 fans per game.
AGGIES IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• The Aggies are 94-16 (.855) in non-conference play in the Gary Blair Era (2003-Present) and turned in their eighth consecutive non-conference season with just two or less losses in Coach Blair’s ninth overall season in Aggieland.
GARY BLAIR ERA NON-CONFERENCE RECORD
2003-04: 7-4
2004-05: 9-1
2005-06: 11-2
2006-07: 10-2
2007-08: 12-2
2008-09: 12-1
2009-10: 12-1
2010-11: 12-1
2011-12: 9-2
Totals: 94-16 (.855)
TWO TOUGHEST ROAD TESTS
• In the history of Texas A&M women’s basketball, #13 Purdue and #2 Connecticut were the highest-ranked opponents the Aggies have ever faced consecutively on the road.
• The Aggies came away with two tough losses, but had not dropped two consecutive games since February 2010.
PRESSURE DEFENSE
• Texas A&M is known for its pressure defense and forced its first six opponents into season high turnovers: Lamar (28), Louisville (27), UALR (24), Mississippi State (18), Temple (27) and Iowa (25).
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
• A&M has been ranked in the AP Poll for 74 consecutive weeks and 55 all-time in the top 10
• A&M has been ranked in the Coaches Poll for 110 consecutive weeks and 60 all-time in the top 10.
TWELVE STRAIGHT
• Prior to their loss at Purdue, the Aggies had won 12 straight games (including six from last season) which matched a school-record 12-game streak that occurred on three other occasions – during the 2010-11, 2008-09 and 2007-08 seasons.
BLAIR GETS 600TH WIN
• With a victory over Mississippi State on Nov. 20, 2011, A&M head coach Gary Blair earned his 600th career win as a Division I head coach. The victories included 192 at A&M (2003-present), 198 at Arkansas (1993-03) and 210 at Stephen F. Austin (1985-93) for 600 total wins.
• Blair became the 25th-fastest all-time coach (in all divisions) to reach 600 victories, the 22nd all-time Division I coach and the 36th all-time coach (in all divisions) to reach 600 victories. He is one of just 13 active Division I coach with 600 victories.
2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
• In April, Texas A&M won its first NCAA National Championship in program history in its first-ever trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four and eighth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Texas A&M ended the season with a 33-5 record, the most victories in program history. It was the first 30-win season in 37 all-time season of Aggie Basketball.
• Texas A&M made a school-record sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the streak, the Aggies had never played in consecutive NCAA Tournaments and had not been a part of March Madness since 1996.
• A&M received a program-best No. 1 national ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll, improving on its previous school-best of No. 3 in the Coaches Poll in 2008.
WHAT’S BACK
• The Aggies return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last year’s national championship squad, including Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention Sydney Carter (DeSoto, Texas), senior Adaora Elonu (Houston, Texas), and Preseason All-Big 12 Tyra White (Kansas City, Mo.).
AGGIES PICKED SECOND IN BIG 12
• A&M was selected to finish second in the Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll. The Aggies received one first-place vote and 73 points, listed only behind preseason favorite Baylor (81).
• A&M was picked second for the second consecutive year, which is its highest spot in the preseason poll since the team was chosen as the favorite prior to the 2007-08 season.
• For the sixth consecutive year, the Aggies were selected among the top five teams in the league. A&M was the preseason favorite to win the regular-season title in 2007-08 (Big 12 postseason champion and NCAA Elite Eight), picked second in 2006-07 (Big 12 regular-season co-champion), fifth in 2008-09 (NCAA Sweet 16), fourth in 2009-10 (Big 12 postseason champion) and second in 2010-11 (NCAA National Champions)
2011-12 Big 12 Preseason Poll
1. Baylor (9) 81
2. Texas A&M (1) 73
3. Texas 60
4. Oklahoma 58
5. Iowa State 43
6. Texas Tech 37
7. Kansas 35
8. Oklahoma State 30
9. Kansas State 23
10. Missouri 10
WHAT’S NEW
• For the third straight year, Texas A&M welcomes one of its highest-ever rated recruiting class with the addition of three freshmen in 6-foot-7 center Rachel Mitchell out of Atascocita High School in Houston, 5-foot-10 guard Tori Scott from John Ehret High School in Marrero, La., and 5-foot-8 guard and Big 12 Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year Alexia Standish out of Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas. This class was ranked as high as No. 3 in the country by The Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
CARTER TAKES CHARGE
• Texas A&M is known for its signature defense and Sydney Carter is its spokeswoman, regularly given the daunting task of guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player. Her play has earned her a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive team last year and she took home the team’s Miss Defense Award the past two seasons. Add to that, the fact that she has led the team in charges taken every year she’s been at A&M.
Carter’s Charges:
29 – Junior (2010-11)
28 – Sophomore (2009-10)
12 – Freshman (2008-09)
FROM THE SIDELINES
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is in his 27th overall season as a Division I head coach. He currently ranks in the top 15 in career victories (606) and in the top 25 by winning percentage (.712) among active Division I coaches in the NCAA women’s basketball record books.
• Blair is the all-time winningest coach in program history with 198 wins and a .707 winning percentage (198-82). He surpassed former head coach Lynn Hickey, who compiled 154 career victories from 1984-1994, with an 84-53 win over Portland State in the NCAA First Round on March 20, 2010 in Seattle, Wash.
• Blair is one of only three all-time NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches to lead two different teams to the NCAA Women’s Final Four (Texas A&M and Arkansas) next to C. Vivian Stringer (Rutgers, Iowa and Cheyney) and Marianne Stanley (Stanford and Old Dominion).
• Blair is one of only four active Division I coaches (six all-time) to lead three different programs to the NCAA Tournament next to Stringer of Rutgers, Joanne P. McCallie of Duke and Jim Foster of Ohio State. Blair previously coached at Stephen F. Austin (1985-93) and Arkansas (1993-03).
• Blair and Stringer are the only two coaches to guide three different teams to the NCAA Sweet 16.
OKLAHOMA RECAP
TEXAS A&M 75, OKLAHOMA 58
TEAM NOTES
• For the first time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Alexia Standish, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Kelsey Bone… It marked the first career start for Standish, the 11th of Bone’s Aggie career, 84th for White and 87th for Elonu.
• Texas A&M improves to 19-26 in the all-time series with Oklahoma and has won the last six straight between the two programs. In addition, A&M is now 12-7 at home against the Sooners.
• The Aggies increase their home winning streak to 11 straight and have won 76 of their last 82 home games.
• Texas A&M moves to 4-2 on national TV this season.
• The Aggies held the advantage 14-6 in second-chance points and 14-7 in fast break points.
• A&M held OU to a season-low 27 points in the second half.
• A&M shot 53.1 percent from the floor in the second half.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Elonu tallied her fifth career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• White has now started in 71 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.
• White has scored double figures in 20 of her last 21 games.
• Carter dished out a season-high five assists.
• Bone’s four assists were a career best and her four steals were a season high.
• Standish played a career-best 27 minutes.
COMING IN 2012-13
• Next season, Blair and his coaching staff will welcome A&M’s highest-ever rated recruiting class that was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz, The Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, Premier Basketball Report and All-Star Girls Report. The Aggie signees were: 5-foot-10 wing Chelsea Jennings from Fort Worth, Texas, 5-foot-6 point guard Jordan Jones from DeSoto, Texas, 5-foot-7 combo guard Curtyce Knox from Humble, Texas, six-foot wing Peyton Little from Abilene, Texas, 5-foot-8 wing Courtney Walker from Edmond, Okla., and 6-foot-1 forward/guard Courtney Williams from Houston.
AGGIES ON THE RADIO
• All Texas A&M women’s basketball games can be heard via a radio broadcast on the Texas A&M Sports Network. Play-by-play announcer Mike Wright will call the action live from Reed Arena alongside color analyst Tap Bentz on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on RadioAggieland.com.
To find the game on FOX Sports Southwest Plus stations are listed below:
DirecTV channel 675, Dish Network channel 444, Suddenlink Cable Bryan channel 22, Time Warner Austin channel 77, Grande Communications Austin-San Marcos 134, Comcast Cable Houston channel 110, Phonscope Houston channel 118, Time Warner San Antonio channel 50, Grande Communications San Antonio channel 134, Time Warner Dallas-Fort Worth channel 960, Charter Cable Dallas-Fort Worth 300 and others, check your local listings.
