No. 13 A&M Faces Missouri Wednesday at Reed Arena
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 13 Texas A&M women’s basketball team continues Big 12 play this week when it hosts Missouri on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Tipoff between the Aggies and the Tigers is set for 7 p.m. at Reed Arena.
#14/13 TEXAS A&M (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) vs. MISSOURI (10-5, 0-4 Big 12)
Game 16
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989)
College Station, Texas
Television: None
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas A&M leads 10-7
Internet: Free Live Video and Live Stats at AggieAthletics.com
TEXAS A&M
Record: 11-4 (2-2 Big 12)
Ranking: #14 (AP), #13 (Coaches)
Last Result: W, 59-33 at Iowa State on 1/14/12
Up Next: at Kansas on 1/21/12
Head Coach: Gary Blair, Ninth Season
Texas A&M Record: 199-83 (.706)
Career Record: 607-246 (.712)
MISSOURI
Record: 10-5 (0-4 Big 12)
Ranking: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Last Result: L, 63-72 vs. Kansas on 1/15/12
Up Next: vs. Oklahoma State on 1/21/12
Head Coach: Robin Pingeton, Second Season
Missouri Record: 23-23 (.500)
Career Record: 359-179 (.667)
PROMOTIONS
• ACRODUNK Halftime Performance – America’s Favorite Dunk Team – High Energy, Inspirational, Acrobatic Entertainment – Featured on America’s Got Talent – www.acrodunk.com
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.
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.
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 (12.1 ppg) and senior guard Sydney Carter (12.1 ppg). Senior forward Adaora Elonu also averages double figures (11.5 ppg).
• Elonu leads the team in rebounding (7.2 rpg), followed closely by Bone (7.1 rpg), and White averages 5.5 rebounds per game.
• The Aggies lead the Big 12 Conference with a turnover margin of +5.3 and with 18.9 offensive rebounds per game. The team has also forced its opponents into an average of 21.0 turnovers per game which is second-best in the Big 12.
• The Aggies have the 18th-best rebounding margin in the nation at +8.6. A&M is also ranked 22nd with a 5.33 turnover margin and 23rd with a 1.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• In Big 12 play, senior Skylar Collins leads all players with an 83.3 (5-6) 3-point field goal percentage. White averages 16.3 points per game, fifth-best in the league, and Carter trails her with 15.5 points per game, seventh-best. Elonu’s 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per conference game rank third-best while her 4.0 offensive rebounds per game are second-best in the league.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
• The University of Missouri is located in Columbia, Mo., has an enrollment of 33,805 and was founded in 1839.
• The Tigers return two starters and eight letterwinners from their 2010-11 squad that finished the season 13-18 overall and 5-11 (12th) in the Big 12.
• Mizzou last made the NCAA field of 64 in 2006, its ninth all-time appearance.
• Despite starting the year 10-1, the Tigers have lost four straight by an average of 21.2 points per game to begin their Big 12 Conference slate.
• Missouri has started 0-4 in Big 12 play for the third time in program history (2009-10, 2003-04, 1996-97) and has not started 0-5 since the 1996-97 season. Texas A&M was not one of the first five teams the Tigers lost to that season.
• In 2011-12, Mizzou is led by Christine Flores with 19.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. BreAnna Brock is also averaging double figures with 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No.
Name
2011-12 Stats
32
Adrienne Pratcher, G, 5-7, Jr.
6.8 ppg, 4.7 apg
04
Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, Sr.
12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg
20
Tyra White, G, 6-0, Sr.
14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg
21
Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, Sr.
11.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg
03
Kelsey Bone, C, 6-4, Jr.
12.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg
MISSOURI
No.
Name
2011-12 Stats
15
Kyley Simmons, G, 5-7, Fr.
3.9 ppg, 4.3 apg
21
Sydney Crafton, G, 5-10, Jr.
6.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg
22
BreAnna Brock, F, 6-2, Sr.
16.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg
32
Liene Priede, G, 5-10, Jr.
7.5 ppg, 3.3 apg
50
Christine Flores, F, 6-3, Sr.
19.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
2011-12 Category
TAMU
MU
Overall Record
11-4
10-5
Conference Record
2-2
0-4
Points Per Game
71.1
65.5
Scoring Margin
+11.3
+5.4
Rebounds Per Game
42.7
38.8
Rebounding Margin
+8.6
+0.3
Field Goal Percentage
41.9
42.5
Field Goal% Defense
40.3
34.0
3-Point FG%
26.6
34.5
Free Throw Percentage
63.9
73.0
Turnovers Per Game
15.7
16.8
Assists Per Game
15.7
14.6
Blocks Per Game
4.8
7.1
Steals Per Game
9.9
5.6
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Texas A&M holds a 10-7 advantage in the all-time series with Missouri.
• The Aggies are currently riding a seven-game winning streak in the series dating back to a 72-52 victory at home on Jan. 21, 2006 in College Station. A&M has outscored Missouri by an average of 18.9 points over that seven-game stretch.
• Last season, Texas A&M defeated Missouri by 45 points, its largest margin of victory in a Big 12 Conference game.
• A&M is 6-1 against Mizzou in Aggieland.
• Missouri is one of only two league teams, the other being Kansas, that A&M has a winning record against in the all-time series.
• Head Coach Gary Blair is 11-3 all-time against Missouri in his 27 years as a Division I head coach including a 7-2 record versus the Tigers while at the helm of the Aggies.
LAST SEVEN GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 85-40 (+45) on Jan. 15, 2011 in Columbia, Mo.
W, 65-55 (+10) on Feb. 3, 2010 in College Station
W, 62-56 (+6) on Jan. 10, 2009 in Columbia, Mo.
W, 65-39 (+26) on March 12, 2008 in Kansas City
W, 62-43 (+19) on Jan. 29, 2008 in College Station
W, 69-63 (+6) on Feb. 7, 2007 in Columbia, Mo.
W, 72-52 (+20) on Jan. 21, 2006 in College Station
MISSOURI REWIND
• Danielle Adams wasn’t deterred when she missed her first eight shots. The Texas A&M senior just kept firing, focused on exploiting Missouri’s lack of depth in the paint. It paid off. She finished with 19 points and six rebounds to lead No. 5 Texas A&M to its ninth straight win, an 85-40 victory over Missouri on Saturday. The Aggies missed their first five field-goal attempts before going on a 25-4 run over a seven-minute span to pull away early and take a 40-17 lead at halftime. Texas A&M forced 18 turnovers in the first half while holding the Tigers to just 17 points. Tyra White added 16 points for the Aggies. The Tigers were without starting center Christine Flores, who broke the middle finger on her right hand. RaeShara Brown had 14 points and six rebounds for the Tigers. Missouri shot 34 percent from the floor and turned the ball over a season-high 27 times. The Aggies led by as many as 50 points in the second half. Sydney Carter chipped in 14 for the Aggies, who shot 49 percent from the floor while committing a season-low six turnovers on the day.
BLAIR GOING FOR 200
• Gary Blair recently reached his 600th career win as a Division I head coach and he is about to reach another coaching milestone. Blair is one win away from his 200th victory as head coach of the Fightin’ Texas Aggies.
• He is already the all-time winningest coach in program history with 199 wins and a .706 winning percentage (199-83). 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.
BALANCED SCORING
• The Aggies are one of just two teams in the Big 12 (the other being Oklahoma State) that have such balanced scoring with four players averaging double figures. Those four players (White, Bone, Carter, Elonu) average 50.2 points per game (out of 71.1 ppg) for A&M and are among the top 21 scorers in the league.
AGGIES’ BIG 12 START
• The Aggies are off to a 2-2 start in Big 12 play. The last time Texas A&M began its conference slate 2-2 was in 2008-09. The team finished with an 11-5 league record – tied for third – and went on to the NCAA Sweet 16.
RPI RATING
• In the most recent release of the NCAA RPI on Jan. 16, Texas A&M was ranked 10th. The Aggies have the 5th-best strength of schedule in the nation. Tennessee holds the top spot in RPI followed by Baylor, Notre Dame, Stanford and Connecticut. Kansas State is sixth, then Maryland, Delaware and Rutgers.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
• White is two rebounds away (498) from joining an elite group of players in the 500-rebound club at A&M. She would be the just the 23rd A&M player to accomplish the notable feat.
• White is 22 points away (1,280) from moving into ninth place in A&M’s career points.
• White is five field goals away (519) from moving into sixth place in career field goals made.
• Carter is four 3-pointers away (114) from moving into fifth place in career 3-point field goals made.
DEFENDERS OF THE HOME COURT
• Despite a recent loss to Texas at home, 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 88-9 (.907) 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 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
6-1
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 seven home games this season, the Aggies are averaging 6,314 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 75 consecutive weeks and 55 all-time in the top 10
• A&M has been ranked in the Coaches Poll for 111 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 (607) and in the top 25 by winning percentage (.712) among active Division I coaches in the NCAA women’s basketball record books.
• 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.
IOWA STATE RECAP
TEXAS A&M 59, IOWA STATE 33
TEAM NOTES
• For the third 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 third career start for Standish, the 13th of Bone’s Aggie career, the 86th for White and 89th for Elonu.
• Texas A&M improves to 7-14 in the all-time series against Iowa State and has won five of the last six meetings. The Aggies now have two straight wins at Hilton Coliseum.
• Thirty-three points was the lowest A&M has held a conference opponent to (by 6 points) in the Gary Blair Era. It was also the second-lowest opponent point total in the Gary Blair Era, next to 26 points for McNeese State on Nov. 21, 2006.
• A&M held an 18-point lead at the half, its largest halftime lead at Hilton Coliseum all-time. In addition, A&M led by as many as 27 points in the second half, its largest lead all-time in Ames.
• A&M defeated Iowa State by 26 points, its largest margin of victory all-time in the series.
• The Aggies held the Cyclones to a season-low 28.9 shooting percentage.
• A&M made a season-high seven 3-pointers.
• For the first time this season, the Aggies were perfect from the free-throw line.
• The Aggie bench outscored the ISU bench, 21-3. A&M also held the advantage in points off turnovers, 21-10, and second-chance points, 19-9.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• White has now started in 73 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.
• Collins hit a career-best four 3-pointers and was 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. She also added two assists and two steals and matched a career-high 23 minutes of action.
• White swiped a career-best four steals.
• Elonu was one rebound shy of her third-straight double-double.
• With nine rebounds, Elonu moved into eight place on A&M’s career rebounds list (619).
• For the second straight game, Karla Gilbert had a season-high three blocked shots.
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.
