Jan. 2, 2009
Complete notes [PDF]
#4/4 TEXAS (11-1) vs. Lamar (8-3)
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 • 2 p.m. Central
Frank Erwin Center (16,755) • Austin, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: None.
RADIO: KVET (1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) will broadcast Saturday's game between Texas and Lamar. Fans can also tune into XM Satellite Radio Ch. 231 for all of the action. Craig Way (pxp) and Carol Ross (analyst) will call the game.
INTERNET AUDIO: Listen to Texas Basketball games on subscription-based Yahoo! Sports College Broadcast.
INTERNET VIDEO: Watch Texas Basketball home games free on TexasSports.TV. (Note: Due to Big 12 Conference television contracts, home games are available for viewing 72 hours after completion of the game.)
SERIES: Texas leads, 5-2. Last meeting: Texas 94-35 (Nov. 15, 2007; Austin, Texas)
Notables
• Best start since 1985-86 ... With their 11-1 record, the Longhorns continue to ride their best start since the 1985-86 season when they went 34-0 and won Texas' first NCAA National Championship. Only two of Texas' 32 teams started the season with an 11-0 start prior to this year's squad -- the 1985-86 and 1979-80 teams.
• Hot from the line ... The Longhorns are 58-63 (.921) from the free-throw line over their last three games. On the season, UT is shooting .757 (202-of-267) from the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Kathleen Nash has connected on her last 26 straight free-throw attempts over a span of six games (last miss was her final FT attempt against Georgia Tech on Nov. 29), while her older sister Kristen leads the team with a .941 average (16-of-17).
Series vs. LamarSaturday's contest marks the eighth meeting between Texas and Lamar. The Longhorns hold a 5-2 record in the all-time series which began on March 23, 1975, with a 53-68 Horns' loss at a neutral site. UT won last season's meeting on Nov. 15 in the Frank Erwin Center, 94-35, for head coach Gail Goestenkors' second victory at Texas. The Longhorns have won the last four straight contests against the Lady Cardinals.
Last Time Out: San Diego State (Dec. 30)
Jene Morris scored 24 points to lead San Diego State (9-3) to a stunning 60-55 upset of No. 4 Texas on Tuesday night in the Surf `N Slam championship game. Texas (11-1) led from the midway point of the first half until Jennifer Layton-Bailes scored on a layup for a 53-52 San Diego State lead with 1:51 left. The Longhorns committed 23 turnovers. Carla Cortijo led the Longhorns with 13 points, including a 3-pointer that pulled Texas to 57-55 with 11.9 seconds left. Johnson then hit a free throw with 10.6 seconds left before Erika Arriaran missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left that would have tied the game.
Texas-San Diego State Notes
· Texas is now 11-1 after its first loss of the season.
· Texas fell to 1-1 all-time against San Diego State.
· Texas shot 40% or better from the field for the third straight game (24-of-59; 40.7%).
· Texas' bench outscored its opponents' bench, 18-0.
· Texas was scoreless from the three-point line until Carla Cortijo connected from beyond the arc with 12 seconds left in the game.
A Check of the Polls
Texas is ranked No. 4 in both the latest Associated Press poll (Dec. 29) and ESPN/USA Today (Dec. 30) poll. Texas compiled a perfect 3-0 record against Top 25 opponents during the non-conference season after first topping then-No. 25/20 Old Dominion 78-44 (Nov. 17) and later handing then-No. 7/10 Tennessee 73-59 (Dec. 14) and then-No. 21/21 Arizona State 81-71 (Dec. 18) back-to-back losses in Austin.
Passing it Around
The Longhorns have nearly doubled their opponents in assists through 12 games this season. Texas has recorded 190 assists to its opponents' 109, with senior guard Carla Cortijo dishing out 67. As of the most recent NCAA rankings on Dec. 22, Texas was averaging 17.3 apg, a mark that ranked 13th nationally.
Dominant Defense
Texas has held its opponents to an average of 52.8 points per contest and a combined 31.5 percent FG shooting, including a 49-of-194 (.253) mark from three-point range. UT has held 10 of its 12 opponents to under 40% FG shooting and six to under 30% FG shooting.
Raven Eyeing 1,000
Junior guard Brittainey Raven is on the verge of joining an elite club of Texas women's basketball players. After scoring a combined 41points in Texas' last four games, Raven needs just 38 more points to become the 33rd player in UT history to reach 1,000 career points. The last player to eclipse the 1K mark was current WNBA standout Tiffany Jackson who accomplished the feat over the course of her sophomore year (2004-05).
Horns at Home
Now in its 32nd year of play in the Frank Erwin Center, Texas has posted an all-time record of 400-68 (.855) in the building. Texas has an all-time 77-48 (.616) mark against AP Top 25 teams at home, and boasts a 5-2 record under second-year head coach Gail Goestenkors. The Horns have won 32 of their last 40 home contests, including their last eight games in Austin.
Raven Leading the Longhorns
Junior guard Brittainey Raven is living up to her Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention billing, as she put together eight-straight double-digit performances dating from UT's second win of the season (Saint Mary's, Nov. 16) through its win over then-No. 7 Tennessee (Dec. 14). Additionally, Raven has led the Longhorns in scoring in seven games. Raven leads Texas with an average of 14.8 ppg and ranks third on the team with 26 assists (2.2 apg).
Rebounding Rundown
Texas has outrebounded its opponents in all but three of its 12 games. The Longhorns sport a +11.1 rebound margin (45.3-34.2) and have recorded at least a +10 advantage in eight contests. UT posted a season-high 52 rebounds in its 73-59 win over Tennessee on Dec. 14, and most recently outrebounded UTEP 48-26 at the Surf `n Slam Classic on Dec. 28.
The Ashleys Dominate
At 6-4, freshman Ashley Gayle shares the title of Tallest Longhorn with senior Ashley Lindsey. The duo share duties in Texas' frontcourt defense and have the potential to be serious threats to offensive attacks, as Lindsey is closing in on Texas' all-time blocks record and Gayle plays above the rim with a flat-footed, non-step vertical reach of 10-2. Lindsey's vertical jump reaches an even 10 feet. Through 12 games, the Ashleys have combined for 61 of Texas' 83 blocks, 10 of which came in Texas' 105-51 win over Furman (Nov. 23).
Horns Display Depth Early On
Texas has displayed its depth early in the 2008-09 season, as its bench has outscored the opponents' bench 375-195. The Longhorns have held their opponents' subs to single digits in four games this season: vs. Dayton (37-8), vs. #25/20 Old Dominion (33-9), vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (34-9) and vs. Furman (33-9). The Longhorn bench is outscoring its opponents' by an average of 31-16. Freshman guard Yvonne Anderson leads the Longhorn bench with 7.0 ppg.
No Sophomore Slump
Guard Kathleen Nash is far from suffering a sophomore slump so far this season. Nash netted a career-high 27 points in Texas' 81-71 win over then-No. 21 Arizona State (Dec. 18) and also tied the school record with a 12-of-12 performance from the charity stripe in the same game. Nash is averaging 14.1 points per game, which is second on the team to Brittainey Raven's 14.8 ppg. Additionally, Nash registered a season-high 12 rebounds against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a career-high five assists in the game.
