COLLEGE STATION, TX -- The No. 11 Texas A&M women’s basketball team returns to its home court on Saturday, Feb. 25 and hosts Texas Tech on Senior Night. Eager to bounce back from a tough road loss and extend its five-game home winning streak, the Aggies and the Lady Raiders tip off at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena in a game that is televised nationally on FSN.
#14/11 TEXAS A&M (19-7, 10-5 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (17-10, 5-10 Big 12)
Game 27
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989)
College Station, Texas
Television: FSN
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas Tech leads 54-18
Internet: Free Live Audio and Live Stats at AggieAthletics.com
TEXAS A&M
Record: 19-7 (10-5 Big 12)
Ranking: #14 (AP), #11 (Coaches)
Last Result: L, 55-64 at Oklahoma on 2/21/12
Up Next: vs. #1/1 Baylor on 2/27/12
Head Coach: Gary Blair, Ninth Season
Texas A&M Record: 207-86 (.707)
Career Record: 615-249 (.712)
TEXAS TECH
Record: 17-10 (5-10 Big 12)
Ranking: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Last Result: L, 64-69 vs. Kansas on 2/21/12
Up Next: vs. Oklahoma on 2/29/12
Head Coach: Kristy Curry, Sixth Season
Texas Tech Record: 105-83 (.559)
Career Record: 284-134 (.679)
TICKET INFORMATION
• Family Four Pack - For only $36, you receive four general admission tickets, four Aggie dogs and four small drinks to see the Aggies take on Kansas State on Wednesday at Reed Arena. Have a family of five? No problem. Extras are $9 each. You will not be able to purchase this deal at the game, so get it now! Family Four Packs can be purchased online by clicking here, over the phone by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE or in person at the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center.
• DoubleDave’s 2 for $10 Tickets – Fans can “DoubleDown with DoubleDave’s and get two tickets for just $10 for any of the final four women’s and men’s regular season games. For information, fans can visit any of the three DoubleDave's locations in the area or order a pizza for delivery (info on pizza boxes).
ON THE TUBE
• Saturday, Texas A&M will appear on the tube before a national television audience for the ninth time this season. Play-by-play announcer Bill Land and color analyst Cindy Stein will call the action live on FSN with the game being carried nationally on Fox Sports Detroit (Plus), Fox Sports Florida (Non Panters), Fox Sports Houston (Texas), Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Southwest (TX & OK), Fox Sports Wisconsin, SportsSouth, The Comcast Network (Philadelphia), MSG Plus, and Root Sports (Pittsburgh Region).
• The Aggies are 5-3 on national TV this season.
• The Aggies appear on television a school-record 14 times during the 2011-12 regular season.
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
• The Aggies turned in their seventh straight 10-win season in Big 12 Conference play.
• A&M is one win away from its seventh consecutive 20-win season under head coach Gary Blair.
• The Aggies limited Iowa State (33) and Kansas State (36) to their lowest point totals of the season and are the only team in the Big 12 to have held any opponent, let alone two, under 40 points in conference play this year.
• Texas A&M sits in a two-way tie for second place with Oklahoma.
• The Aggies lead the Big 12 by forcing their opponents into an average of 21.2 turnovers per game, with a turnover margin of +6.0, and by averaging 17.2 offensive rebounds per game. The team also averages 10.0 steals and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.0 which are both second-best in the Big 12.
• As of Feb. 20, the Aggies had the 15th-best turnover margin in the nation, while Kelsey Bone held the 11th best field goal percentage in the country.
• Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year Bone is third-best in the conference with her 54.1 field goal percentage. Senior Adaora Elonu’s (3.2) and Bone’s (3.2) offensive rebounds per game are fourth- and fifth-best in the league.
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
• Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas, has an enrollment of 32,237 and was founded in 1923.
• The Lady Raiders return four starters and 11 letterwinners from the 2010-11 season when they finished 22-11 overall and 8-8 (6th) in Big 12 play.
• Tech made is 19th NCAA Tournament appearance last season, before falling to St. John’s in the first round.
• The Lady Raiders started the season 14-0, but have since gone 3-10. In addition, Tech has gone 1-6 in Big 12 play on the road.
• Tech sits in a three-way tie for seventh place in the league standings with Texas and Oklahoma State.
• The Lady Raiders are led by Kierra Mallard with 11.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She is the only player averaging double figures.
• Sixth-year Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry has Aggie ties. She previously served as an assistant coach under former A&M head coach Candi Harvey from 1994-96, prior to receiving her first head coaching job at Purdue from 1999-2006. She is married to Texas Tech assistant coach Kelly Curry, a Class of ‘90 graduate of A&M.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name 2011-12 Stats
10 Alexia Standish, G, 5-8, Fr. 4.0 ppg, 2.1 apg
04 Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, Sr. 11.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
20 Tyra White, G, 6-0, Sr. 13.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg
21 Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, Sr. 11.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg
03 Kelsey Bone, C, 6-4, Jr. 12.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg
TEXAS TECH
No. Name 2011-12 Stats
00 Chynna Brown, G, 5-8, Jr. 9.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
01 Jordan Barncastle, F, 6-2, Sr. 5.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg
15 Casey Morris, G, 5-9, Jr. 9.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg
23 Monique Smalls, G, 5-6, Jr. 8.3 ppg, 4.2 apg
33 Shauntal Nobles, F, 6-3, So. 6.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
2011-12 Category TAMU TTU
Overall Record 19-7 17-10
Conference Record 10-5 5-10
Points Per Game 67.6 68.0
Scoring Margin +9.4 +10.2
Rebounds Per Game 39.8 42.1
Rebounding Margin +5.3 +6.3
Field Goal Percentage 41.4 39.1
Field Goal% Defense 40.1 37.6
3-Point FG% 27.8 32.0
Free Throw Percentage 66.3 66.8
Turnovers Per Game 15.2 15.7
Assists Per Game 14.7 13.1
Blocks Per Game 4.5 4.2
Steals Per Game 10.0 10.8
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Texas Tech leads 54-18 in the all-time series with Texas A&M, but the Aggies have won four of the last five matchups.
• The Aggies have also won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two Big 12 rivals.
• A&M has won six straight against the Lady Raiders when playing at Reed Arena. In addition, nine of A&M’s 18 all-time victories have been won on its home court.
• Blair is 10-7 lifetime versus his alma mater in his 27 years as a Division I head coach. Blair earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 1972 and his master’s degree in education in 1974 from Texas Tech. He also played a season of baseball for the Red Raiders. All 10 of his career victories over Tech have occurred during his tenure in Aggieland.
LAST FIVE GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 67-55 on Feb. 1, 2012 in Lubbock, Texas
W, 84-60 on Feb. 22, 2011 in College Station
W, 79-65 on Feb. 5, 2011 in Lubbock, Texas
L, 54-57 on Feb. 10, 2010 in Lubbock, Texas
W, 69-54 on Jan. 23, 2010 in College Station
LADY RAIDERS REWIND
• Sydney Carter scored 17 points and Adaora Elonu added 16 to lead No. 18 Texas A&M to a 67-55 win over No. 25 Texas Tech on Wednesday night. The Aggies held the Lady Raiders without a field goal for 6 minutes and Texas Tech started the second half 1-12 from the floor. Texas Tech (15-6, 3-6 Big 12 Conference) shot 30 percent for the game. The Lady Raiders managed to cut the lead to six with a minute to play on a 3 by Casey Morris. But Texas A&M (15-5, 6-3) made all 10 of its free throws to seal the win. Morris finished with 14 points for Texas Tech, which has lost six of seven. White added 12 points for A&M, while Bone had 11 points and 11 rebounds as four Aggie players scored double figures. Texas A&M never trailed and led 30-27 at halftime.
UP NEXT
In its final home game of the regular season, Texas A&M hosts No. 1 Baylor just two days from Saturday on ESPN’s Big Monday, Feb. 27. Tip time is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
BIG 12 TENDENCY
• In the first half of Big 12 games, A&M has allowed its opponents a better shooting percentage, 40.1-+43.4, but in the second half the Aggies have held their opponents to a much lower field goal percentage while slightly improving their own, 41.6-38.5.
A&M’S LAST FIVE AT HOME
• In A&M’s last five home wins, Kelsey Bone has led the charge with 14.8 points per game while shooting 60 percent from the field. Adaora Elonu adds 13.2 points, while Tyra White chips in 11.6 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds per game.
• The Aggies have outscored their opponents by 16.8 points per game and shot 43.6 percent from the floor. In addition, they have averaged just 12.4 turnovers per game.
AGGIES TO HOST 2013 NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS
• In addition to hosting the 2012 NCAA First and Second Rounds, Texas A&M was selected for the second straight year to host the same rounds in 2013. Games at Reed Arena will be played either Saturday, March 23, and Monday, March 25, or Sunday, March 24 and Tuesday, March 26, 2013.
• A&M is one of just four institutions in the nation that will host first and second round games in both 2012 and 2013 and will be one of three Southeastern Conference schools to host next year.
TWO SENIORS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12
• Kelsey Assarian and Adaora Elonu earned recognition on the 2012 Academic All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball Team. Assarian was one of just six student-athletes in the conference to become a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree. Elonu, already a two-time Academic All-Big 12 second team member, earned a spot on the first team for the first time in her career.
SENIOR SCORING AND BALANCE = WINS
• Texas A&M has one of the most balanced-scoring teams in the Big 12 with four players averaging double figures. Three of those players are seniors Carter, Elonu and White. When this trio of leaders scores double digits, A&M has lost just a single game at 9-1.
• What’s more is four Aggies have scored double figures on nine occasions this season and A&M is an undefeated 9-0 in those games.
STANDISH STARTING FRESH
• Alexia Standish is only the fifth true freshman to start at point guard in Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair’s nine seasons in Aggieland and she has the second-most starts of that impressive group.
Name Starts Year
Adrienne Pratcher 1 2009-10
Sydney Carter 1 2008-09
Sydney Colson 2 2007-08
Alexia Standish 14 2011-12
A’Quonesia Franklin 28 2004-05
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
White
• Against Missouri on Feb. 14, White moved into seventh place on A&M’s career points list and currently has 1,414 career points.
• White is six field goals away (574) from moving into fifth place on the all-time list.
• Against Missouri on Jan. 18, White became the 24th A&M player to join the 500-rebound club. She is just 17 rebounds away (565) from moving into A&M’s top 10 list.
Elonu
• Against OU on Feb. 21, Elonu (77 career blocks, including an individual season-best 28 this season) moved into the top 10 in career block shots. She is five blocks away from moving into the ninth place on the all-time list.
• Against K-State on Feb. 8, Elonu moved into seventh place on the career rebounds list. She is just 29 rebounds away (681) from moving into sixth place on the all-time list.
• Against Oklahoma State on Jan. 24, Elonu became 25th A&M player to pass over 1,000 career points and currently has 1,093.
Carter
• Against OU on Feb. 21, Carter moved into the top 10 in career steals. She is just seven steals away (192) from moving into ninth place on the all-time list.
• Against Kansas on Jan. 21, Carter became the 24th A&M player to pass over 1,000 career points and currently has 1,084.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
• All but two of A&M’s losses have come by just 9 points or less. Those two losses were against the No.1 (Baylor) and the No. 2 (UConn) teams in the nation.
• All but three of the Aggies’ wins (USC, Iowa State, and at Missouri) have come by 10 points or more.
• In two of the three wins decided by less than 10 points, Sydney Carter provided the game-winning heroics versus USC (3-pointer) and Iowa State (pair of free throws).
• In all but one of A&M’s losses (at Kansas State), the team has shot less than 40 percent.
• In all but three of A&M’s wins (McNeese State, at Iowa State and Oklahoma State), the team has shot 40 percent or better.
• The Aggies have trailed at the half eight times this season, four of which ended in a loss and four of which A&M won.
• In all but one of A&M’s wins (at Kansas), the team has outscored its opponent in the second half.
• In all but one of A&M’s losses (at Oklahoma State), the team has been outscored in the second half.
• Here is a comparison of key statistics in A&M’s wins vs. losses:
Team Stat Wins Losses
Points per game 71.6 65.9
Opp points per game 54.4 68.6
Scoring margin +17.2 -11.7
FG Percentage 44.4 33.3
Opp FG Percentage 37.5 47.0
Free-Throw Percentage 67.9 61.7
Assists 15.9 11.4
Turnovers per game 14.3 17.4
Turnover Margin +7.4 +1.7
Steals per game 10.9 7.7
• Six of the Aggies’ seven losses have occurred on the road. Here is a comparison of key statistics in A&M’s home vs. away games:
Team Stat Home Away
Points per game 73.1 61.3
Scoring margin +16.3 +1.7
FG Percentage 44.6 37.9
Opp FG Percentage 38.0 42.2
Assists per game 17.5 11.8
RPI RATING
• In the most recent release of the NCAA RPI on Feb. 20, Texas A&M was ranked sixth. The Aggies have the fourth-best strength of schedule in the nation. Baylor holds the top spot in RPI followed by Connecticut, Stanford, Tennessee and Notre Dame. Following the Aggies is Delaware, Maryland, Miami (Fla.) and Duke.
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 12 home games this season, the Aggies are averaging 6,250 fans per game, fifth-best in the Big 12 and against 12th-best in the country.
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
• A&M has been ranked in the AP Poll for 80 consecutive weeks and 55 all-time in the top 10
• A&M has been ranked in the Coaches Poll for 116 consecutive weeks and 60 all-time in the top 10.
OKLAHOMA RECAP
OKLAHOMA 64, TEXAS A&M 55
TEAM NOTES
• For the 14th time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Alexia Standish, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Kelsey Bone…The Aggies are 10-4 with this starting lineup.
• A&M falls to 19-27 in the all-time series against Oklahoma. The Aggies have still won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools.
• The Aggies are 3-17 when playing on the road in Norman.
• A&M’s bench outscored the Sooners 16-4 and held the edge in second chance points 12-1.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• White has now started in 84 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.
• White scored in double figures for the 21st time this season and Carter for the 15th time.
• With one of three steals against OU, Carter (192 career steals) from moved into the top 10 all-time at A&M. She is now in A&M’s career top 10 in assists (8th), 3-point field goals made (5th), and free throw percentage (1st).
• Karla Gilbert grabbed a career-high nine rebounds.
