Jan. 23, 2009
Complete notes
#14/16 TEXAS (14-3, 2-1 Big 12) at #3/2 Oklahoma (15-2, 4-0 Big 12)
Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 • 12 p.m. Central
Lloyd Noble Center (12,000) • Norman, Okla.
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by FSN (Time Warner Cable Ch. 54 in Austin). Brent Stover (pxp) and Brenda VanLengen (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: KVET (1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) will broadcast Sunday's game between Texas and Oklahoma. 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.
SERIES: Texas leads, 21-13. Last meeting: Texas 65-50 (Mar. 2, 2008; Norman, Okla.)
NOTABLES
• BIG 12 ON FSN ... This weekend FSN will televise four Big 12 women's basketball games over two days. A crew of five will travel roughly 650 miles across the Midwest to work three of those contests, all tipping off within 25 hours of one another. Texas' contest at Oklahoma will mark the finale of network broadcasts.
• LEAGUE LEADERS ... The Longhorns find themselves atop the Big 12 Conference in five statistical categories (Jan. 21). Through all games, UT leads the league in scoring margin (+23.8), free-throw percentage (252-of-340, .741), field-goal percentage defense (329-of-999, .329), blocked shots (109, 6.4 bpg) and defensive rebounds (491, 28.9 drpg).
• DOMINANT DEFENSE ... UT has held 14 of its 17 opponents to under 40 percent FG shooting and seven to under 30 percent FG shooting. The Longhorns rank third nationally in field-goal percentage defense.
SERIES VS. OKLAHOMA
Sunday's contest marks the 35th meeting between Red River rivals Texas and Oklahoma. Texas holds a 21-13 advantage in the all-time series that began with five-straight UT victories on Nov. 17, 1979, in Norman. The two teams split last year's meetings, with the Sooners winning 74-58 in Austin (Feb. 3) and the Longhorns winning 65-50 on the road (Mar. 2). The series is knotted at 7-7 all-time in Norman.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
Texas is ranked No. 14 in the latest Associated Press poll (Jan. 19) and No. 16 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll (Jan. 20). 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.
LAST TIME OUT: COLORADO (JAN. 17)
(AP) - Kathleen Nash had 16 points and No. 16 Texas clamped down on Colorado in a 62-32 victory. The Longhorns limited the Buffaloes to just 12 points and 22 percent shooting in the first half. Colorado shot 28 percent for the game. It was the fewest points allowed by Texas this season. Erika Arriaran added 11 points and Nash also had seven rebounds for Texas (14-3, 2-1 Big 12). The Longhorns won their second straight game after dropping three of their previous four. Texas led by 17 at halftime but Colorado closed to 31-22 in the second half. The Longhorns finished the game with a 31-10 run.
TEXAS DEPTH
Through 17 games, the Longhorns have showcased the team's depth with six different leading or co-leading scorers and nine different leading rebounders. Junior Brittainey Raven has been the team's leading or co-leading scorer in nine games, while sophomore Kathleen Nash has held the title in four games and junior Erika Arriaran in three. Seniors Earnesia Williams and Carla Cortijo were also Texas' top scorers against Dayton (Nov. 15) and UTEP (Dec. 28), respectively. Freshman Ashleigh Fontenette was the latest Longhorn to lead the squad after posting a career-high 21 points against Nebraska (Jan. 14). On the rebounding side, Ka. Nash has led in seven games followed by sister Kristen Nash and senior Ashley Lindsey, who have each led four times this season.
DOMINANT DEFENSE
Texas has held its opponents to an average of 53.0 points per contest and a combined 32.9 percent FG shooting, including a 71-of-261 (.272) mark from 3-point range. UT has held 14 of its 17 opponents to under 40 percent FG shooting and seven to under 30 percent FG shooting. The Longhorns rank third nationally in field-goal percentage defense.
PASSING IT AROUND
The Longhorns have nearly doubled their opponents in assists through 17 games this season. Texas has recorded 282 assists to its opponents' 161, with senior guard Carla Cortijo dishing out 103. Cortijo has recorded double-digit assists in two games this season (12 vs. Saint Mary's, Nov. 16; 10 vs. Nebraska, Jan. 14). As of the most recent NCAA rankings on Jan. 18, Texas was averaging 16.6 apg, a mark that ranks 13th nationally.
LEADING THE LEAGUE
With Big 12 Conference action underway, the Longhorns find themselves atop the league in five statistical categories (Jan. 21). Through all games, UT leads the league in scoring margin (+23.8), free-throw percentage (252-of-340, .741), field-goal percentage defense (329-of-999, .329), blocked shots (109, 6.4 bpg) and defensive rebounds (491, 28.9 drpg).
UT is the only school in the league to rank in the top three in both scoring offense (No. 3, 76.8) and scoring defense (No. 2, 53.0), and the only squad to rank in the top two in both 3-point FG percentage (No. 2, .403) and 3-point FG percentage defense (No. 2, .272).
ROAD WARRIORS
A pair of Longhorns are averaging more than 10 points per game in Texas' five road contests this season. Guards Brittainey Raven (13.6 ppg) and Kathleen Nash (12.2 ppg) are averaging double-digit scoring efforts when playing in opponents' arenas.
WILLIAMS ON POINT
Senior forward Earnesia Williams has been efficient this season, to say the least. Williams currently leads the team in field goal percentage (45-of-84, .500) and has been perfect from the field in three contests this year (4-of-4 FG -- Dayton, Nov. 15; 5-of-5 FG -- No. 21 Arizona State, Dec. 18; 4-of-4 FG -- Lamar, Jan. 3). Williams has connected on 50 percent or more of her shots in 11 of 16 contests while improving her shooting percentage nearly 10 percent from last season (97-of-241, .402).
NASH SEEING DOUBLE
Sophomore guard Kathleen Nash posted her second double-double effort of the season on Jan. 9 at Texas Tech. She had 20 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in Texas' Big 12 opener at Tech. Her first double-double of the season came against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Nov. 20) when she posted 11 points and 12 boards. Nash is the only Longhorn this season with a double-double and now has four in her collegiate career.
21 FOR FONTENETTE
With her career-high 21 points against Nebraska (Jan. 14), Ashleigh Fontenette became the first Longhorn freshman to score 20+ points in a game since 2004 when current WNBA standout and UT legend Tiffany Jackson connected for 22 points during her debut season at Nebraska (Jan. 28, 2004). Fontenette is the fourth Longhorn this season to eclipse the 20+ point mark, joining sophomore Kathleen Nash (five times) and juniors Brittainey Raven (six times) and Erika Arriaran (once) in accomplishing the feat.
