Feb. 20, 2009
Complete notes [PDF]
#12/13 TEXAS (19-6, 7-4 Big 12) at #14/11 Texas A&M (19-5, 7-4 Big 12)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009 • 11 a.m. Central
Reed Arena (12,500) • College Station, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by FSN (Time Warner Cable Ch. 54 in Austin). Kevin Eschenfelder (pxp) and Debbie Antonelli (color) will call the action.
RADIO: KVET (1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) will broadcast Saturday’s game between Texas and Texas A&M. 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, 58-16. Last meeting: Texas A&M 68-54 (Jan. 28, 2009; Austin, Texas)
NOTABLES
• LINDSEY SEEING DOUBLE ... Senior Ashley Lindsey notched her first double-double of the season against Oklahoma State (Feb. 18) with 16 points and 10 rebounds. In Texas’ last two games, Lindsey has recorded back-to-back double-figure scoring with 12 (at Iowa State) and 16 points vs. OSU. Lindsey is the second Longhorn this season to notch a double-double, joining sophomore Kathleen Nash.
• CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON ... At 19-6, the Longhorns are one win away from reaching their second-consecutive 20-win season under second-year head coach Gail Goestenkors. The 2008-09 squad will become the 28th team in Texas’ 35 years of women’s basketball to eclipse the 20-win mark, and Goestenkors’ 12th-consecutive team to record 20 or more wins.
SERIES VS. TEXAS A&M
Saturday’s contest marks the 75th meeting between in-state foes Texas and Texas A&M. Texas holds a 58-16 advantage in the all-time series that began on Mar. 23, 1975, with a 63-62 UT win. The Aggies have won six of the last seven contests, including a 68-54 decision in Austin on Jan. 28, 2009.
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
The 2008-09 academic season marks the fifth year of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown, the all-sports athletics competition between Texas and Texas A&M. UT has won three of the first four Showdowns. The Longhorns claimed the inaugural Showdown in 2004-05 by a 14.5-4.5 point margin, recorded a 14.0-5.0 victory in 2005-06 and posted a 10.5-8.5 win in 2006-07. The Aggies registered a 10.5-8.5 victory last year. Texas holds a 6.0-2.5 lead in points in this year’s Showdown standings heading into Saturday morning’s contest in College Station. The winning school in Saturday’s game receives 0.5 point. In order to win the Showdown, a school must acquire 10.0 points during the year.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
Texas is ranked No. 12 in the latest Associated Press poll (Feb. 16) and No. 13 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll (Feb. 17). Texas is 5-2 this season against Top 25 opponents and 2-2 in Big 12 contests.
LAST TIME OUT: OKLAHOMA STATE (FEB. 18)
(AP) - Ashley Lindsey had a double-double for Texas with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Erika Arriaran finished with 12 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop Oklahoma State from pulling off a 58-52 upset at No. 12 Texas on Feb. 18. With a little more than 20 seconds left and the Cowgirls (15-9, 4-7 Big 12) up 55-52, Riley ran the length of the court to catch a full-court pass and convert the easy layup.
TEXAS-OKLAHOMA STATE NOTES
• The game included 10 tied scores and nine lead changes.
• The game was tied at 25-25 at halftime, marking just the second halftime tie of the season for the Longhorns ... Texas is now 1-1 when tied at the midway point.
• Texas used a 7-0 run from 11:49 to 10:00 in the second half to take a 44-42 advantage over Oklahoma State for its first lead of the half.
• Texas held the Oklahoma State bench to just nine points marking the 10th contest this season the Horns have held their opponents subs to single digits.
• The Horns posted five blocks and now have 146 on the season, which ties for eighth all-time in UT’s single-season record book.
• The Longhorns held the Cowgirls to just 58 points, 16 points below their season average...15th opponent the Horns have held to under 60 points this season.
LAST TIME VS. TEXAS A&M (JAN. 28)
(AP) -- Takia Starks scored 21 of her 26 points in the second half and No. 11 Texas A&M pulled away to a 68-54 win over No. 16 Texas on Jan. 28. Texas A&M (16-3, 4-2 Big 12) led by 10 at halftime and Starks scored seven of the Aggies’ first nine points in the second half to break the game open. LaToya Micheaux grabbed 16 rebounds for the Aggies, who shot 48 percent. Kathleen Nash scored 13 points to lead Texas (14-5, 2-3). The Longhorns forced 23 turnovers, but shot just 32 percent and went 17-of-32 from the free throw line.
LINEUP ADJUSTMENTS
Following Texas’ 68-54 loss against Texas A&M on Jan. 28, second-year head coach Gail Goestenkors adjusted her lineup, and the Longhorns hold a 5-1 record in that span. Freshmen Ashleigh Fontenette and Ashley Gayle replaced seniors Earnesia Williams and Ashley Lindsey in the lineup, and sophomore Kathleen Nash, a combination guard/forward, moved inside.
LEADING THE LEAGUE
With five Big 12 contests remaining, the Longhorns continue to find themselves atop the league in two statistical categories (Feb. 18). Through all games, UT leads the league in free-throw percentage (371-of-517, .718) and blocked shots (146, 5.8 bpg). UT the only school in the league to rank in the top three in both 3-point FG percent and 3-point FG percent defense, and one of two schools to rank in the top five in both scoring offense and scoring defense (No. 5, 56.3).
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The big statistical difference in Texas’ 19 wins and six losses this season can be traced to the defensive end of the court. In its 19 wins, Texas has held opponents to an average of 52.8 points per contest and a combined .330 percent FG shooting, including a 77-of-305 (.252) mark from three-point range.
FRESHMEN FAIRING WELL
Texas’ freshmen class has responded well to the pressures of Big 12 play, as Ashleigh Fontenette and Ashley Gayle either lead the league rookies or rank in the top-two in scoring, steals and blocked shots. Fontenette leads the league freshmen in steals (1.91 spg, ranks second in scoring (8.6 ppg) and is also second in three-point field goals (8-of-15, .533), while Gayle is tied for first in her class with 1.36 bpg.
NO LACK OF EXPERIENCE HERE
The Texas women’s basketball coaching staff has a combined total of 87 years of experience. Mickie DeMoss leads the way with 31 years, including eight as a head coach (Kentucky, 2003-07; Florida, 1979-83). Gale Valley has 26, 15 of which were spent at Duke with head coach Gail Goestenkors, who has 22 years under her belt (one at Texas, 15 at Duke, six as an assistant at Purdue). LaKale Malone has been coaching for eight years, five of which have been in the Big 12. The Longhorns’ 87 years are tied for the most in the Big 12 with Iowa State.
ARRIARAN IMPRESSIVE OFF THE BENCH
Junior guard Erika Arriaran has put together a string of four-straight contests with double-figure scoring. Over Texas’ last four Big 12 contests, Arriaran has scored 51 points for an average of 12.8 ppg. Arriaran and sophomore guard Kathleen Nash alternated starting positions in Texas’ lineup for the first 15 games before Nash secured the starting role.
GOESTENKORS VS. IN-STATE OPPONENTS
Second-year head coach Gail Goestenkors boasts a 14-6 record against in-state opponents. She collected her first win against a fellow Texas opponent with a 94-35 win over Lamar on Nov. 15, 2007. In Big 12 contests, Goestenkors is 6-6 against in-state rivals.
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 (58-of-114, .509) and has been perfect from the field in four 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; 1-of-1 FG -- Oklahoma State, Feb. 18). Williams has connected on 50 percent or more of her shots in 14 of 24 contests, while improving her shooting percentage more than 10 percent from last season (97-of-241, .402).
