Jan. 28, 2011
Complete game notes | Parking update for Sunday's game
#RV/RV TEXAS (13-7, 2-4 Big 12) vs. Colorado (11-8, 2-4 Big 12)
Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 • 2 p.m. Central • LSN
Frank Erwin Center (16,734) • Austin, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised by the Longhorn Sports Network (TWC Ch. 54 in Austin). Kevin Eschenfelder (pxp) and Dan Hughes (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: KVET-AM 1300 “The Zone” will broadcast Sunday’s game between Texas and Colorado. Craig Way (pxp) and Jon Madani (analyst) will handle the call.
SERIES: Texas, 15-4. Last meeting: Texas 74-50 (Feb. 10, 2010; Boulder, Colo.)
NOTABLES
• WBCA PINK ZONE ... The Longhorns and Buffs will be adding a touch of pink to their uniforms in Sunday’s game to support the WBCA Pink Zone. The initiative of the event is a global, unified effort for women’s basketball coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.
• FRESHMAN EN FUEGO ... In Big 12 Conference games, freshman guard Chassidy Fussell is averaging a team-best 21.5 ppg. Additionally, she is pulling down 5.5 rpg while seeing action in 33.5 mpg during the same stretch and leading Texas from the free throw line with 93.1 percent (27-of-29). Fussell is the leading freshman scorer in the league with 17.6 ppg on the season and ranks seventh among all league players.
• DEFLECT DOMINATION ... Junior post Ashley Gayle recorded six blocks against both Oklahoma State (Jan. 22) and Texas Tech (Jan. 26) to increase her career total to 250 - a mark that ties for second-best in Texas history and is fifth-best all-time in the Big 12 Conference. Gayle’s 87 blocks this season place her fourth in UT’s single-season record book where she already holds top billing (103, 2009-10).
• CELEBRATING PERFECTION ... Texas will honor its 1986 NCAA Championship team (34-0) during a special halftime recognition during Sunday’s game. This season marks the 25th anniversary of the first perfect season in NCAA history.
SERIES VS. COLORADO
Sunday’s contest marks the 20th meeting between Texas and Colorado. Texas holds a 15-4 advantage in the all-time series that began with a UT victory on Jan. 17, 1982, at a neutral site. The Horns won last year’s meeting, 74-50, in Boulder. Prior to a Buffs’ victory in 2008, the Longhorns had won eight-straight in a seven-year span. Texas holds a 7-1 advantage against Colorado in Austin.
Series Quick Facts
Overall Series Record - Texas, 15-4
Goestenkors vs. Colorado - 2-1
Most UT points - 93 (Dec. 9, 1990)
Most Colorado points - 79 (Feb. 19, 2000)
Fewest UT points - 50 (Mar. 7, 1997)
Fewest Colorado points - 32 (Jan. 17, 2009)
Largest UT margin - 43 (83-40; Feb. 23, 2005)
Largest CU margin - 15 (67-52; Feb. 16, 2008)
In overtime - 0-0
THE LAST MEETING: AT COLORADO (FEB. 10, 2010)
Ashleigh Fontenette scored 13 points, Cokie Reed added 12, and Texas routed mistake-prone Colorado 74-50 for its fourth consecutive win. Kathleen Nash and Brittainey Raven added 10 points each for the Longhorns. Texas beat Colorado for the 10th time in 11 meetings in continuing its strong play since starting the conference season with consecutive losses. Chucky Jeffery had 12 points to lead Colorado. Capitalizing on 11 first-half turnovers by Colorado, Texas got its transition game going, scoring one easy basket after another on fastbreaks en route to a 41-21 lead at halftime. The Buffaloes had 22 turnovers overall leading to 39 points for the Longhorns. That’s the way it went throughout for Colorado, which fell behind 14-0 in the game’s first five minutes before Bianca Smith hit a 3-pointer for the Buffaloes’ first basket.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
UT is receiving votes in The Associated Press Poll (Jan. 24) and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll (Jan. 25) for the 11th week of the season. Texas is scheduled to meet five additional foes that are currently ranked in the polls during Big 12 Conference action: No. 1/1 Baylor (Feb. 12 in Waco), No. 6/5 Texas A&M (Feb. 27 in Austin), No. 13/12 Oklahoma (Feb. 19 in Norman), No. 23/20 Iowa State (Feb. 21 in Ames) and No. RV/25 Texas Tech (March 2 in Austin).
LAST TIME OUT: AT TEXAS TECH (JAN. 26)
Freshman guard Chassidy Fussell led Texas with 16 second-half points in a 75-67 come-from-behind win over Texas Tech on Wednesday night at the United Spirit Arena. Fussell posted 22 points to help the Longhorns hand the Lady Raiders their first home loss of the season. Fussell was a perfect four-of-four from long distance including a game-clenching bucket from downtown with just 52 seconds remaining. The Longhorns trailed 38-31 at halftime after the Lady Raiders closed the half with a 8-0 run. The second half began much like the first as the Longhorns came out with six straight points to trail 38-37 at the 17:36 mark. Monique Smalls hit a three-pointer for Tech’s only basket in the first five minutes of the stanza, but senior guard Kathleen Nash put up seven points in three consecutive possessions to give UT a 44-41 advantage and its first lead in the second half. The Lady Raiders reclaimed no more than a one-point lead over the next few minutes until the Longhorns used a 6-0 run to build a 55-52 lead with 8:58 left in the game. UT never trailed again when Fussell hit her third of three treys with 5:12 remaining for a 62-54 advantage.
SILVER ANNIVERSARY
This season marks the 25th anniversary of Texas’ historic 1986 national championship that included the first perfect record in NCAA history (34-0). The Longhorns captured the national title on March 30, 1986, with a 97-81 win over Southern California in Lexington, Ky. Members of the championship team will be honored at halftime of Sunday’s game and also in a postgame Texas Rewind session to be held in the Lone Star Room. All fans are welcome to visit with the former letterwinners and reminisce about the first perfect season.
LONGHORNS IN THE BIG 12
In the most recent edition of the Big 12 Conference standings (Jan. 27), freshman guard Chassidy Fussell ranks second in free throw percentage (.938, 27-of-29) and tied for second in 3-point FG made (2.7 pg). Fussell is the leading freshman scorer in the conference with 21.5 ppg, an average that stands fourth-best in league contests. Senior guard Kathleen Nash ranks fourth in league-only games with 9.2 rpg while junior post Ashley Gayle stands second in blocked shots (4.2 bpg).
QUITE A START
Texas was the only team in the Big 12 Conference that faced three ranked opponents in its first four contests. After beginning league play at Missouri, UT hosted top-ranked Baylor, No. 15/14 Oklahoma and visited No. 6/5 Texas A&M.
QUARTET IN DOUBLE DIGITS
Four Longhorns continue to average double-digit scoring: Chassidy Fussell (17.6 ppg), Kathleen Nash (15.3 ppg), Ashleigh Fontenette (12.8 ppg) and Yvonne Anderson (10.5 ppg). Texas is the only team in the Big 12 Conference with three Top 20 scorers in Fussell (seventh), Nash (10th) and Fontenette (19th).
PERFECT ON THE LINE
Freshman guard Chassidy Fussell has been perfect from the line in each of Texas’ last three contests. She was 6-of-6 at Texas Tech (Jan. 26), 5-of-5 against Oklahoma State (Jan. 22) and 4-of-4 at Texas A&M (Jan. 19). Fussell’s free throw streak is at 15 straight and counting.
THIEVERY
Texas has recorded at least 10 or more steals in nine games, including 13 most recently against Oklahoma State (Jan. 22). Junior guard Ashleigh Fontenette leads the Longhorns with 46 steals and is sixth in the Big 12 Conference (through Jan. 27) with 2.3 spg.
STINGY DEFENSE
Texas’ defense held Sam Houston State to just 17 points in the first half on Jan. 2, marking a season-low for a UT opponent. The Longhorns held San Diego to 18 points in the first half in the previous game on Dec. 30.
DOUBLE-FIGURE DUO
Freshman guard Chassidy Fussell and senior guard Kathleen Nash have each recorded double-figure scoring in all but one game played this season for the Longhorns. Fussell leads Texas with 10 20+ point games this year and has led UT in scoring eight times.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
Texas’ +20 rebound advantage over Sam Houston State (59-39) marked the second time this season it has out-rebounded its opponent by 20 or more boards. UT’s 59 boards tied its season high originally set against Boston University on Nov. 21. Texas has out-rebounded seven of its opponents by double-digit margins, including a +17 advantage at Texas Tech (Jan. 22, 43-26) most recently. The Longhorns are averaging 45.2 rpg and hold a +4.6 edge over all opponents.
