Nov. 24, 2009
Complete game notes
#13/13 TEXAS (2-1) vs. #19/rv Mississippi State (4-0)
PARADISE JAM TOURNAMENT • REEF DIVISION
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009 • 7 p.m. Central
UVI Sports and Fitness Center (3,000) • St. Thomas, USVI
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: None. Live video feed provided by FSC Broadband is available for a subscription-based fee. Brenda VanLengen will handle the call.
RADIO: KVET (1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) will broadcast Thursday’s game between Texas and Mississippi State. Jon Madani (pxp) and Carol Ross (analyst) will call the action.
SERIES: Mississippi State leads, 1-0. Last meeting: Mississippi State 71-63 (March 21, 2009; Columbus, Ohio - NCAA Tournament First Round)
NOTABLES
• THE REMATCH ... Texas’ first draw of the Paradise Jam Tournament features a rematch of its 2009 NCAA Tournament First Round opponent. The No. 11 seed Bulldogs overcame the sixth-seeded Longhorns in the closing minutes for a 71-63 upset.
• KAT UNLEASHED ... Junior guard Kathleen Nash has been on the attack in Texas’ first three games. She is averaging a team-best 16.0 ppg, and ranks second on the team in rebounds (6.7) behind Ashley Gayle’s 7.0 rpg. Additionally, Nash is a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and has added six assists and four steals in her three outings.
• PARADISE JAM FLASHBACK ... The Longhorns are returning to the Paradise Jam Tournament for the first time since 2001 - when they captured the St. Thomas Division championship. A then-unranked Texas team defeated No. 23 Wisconsin (75-70) and Southern Cal (66-64) for the title, and Stacy Stephens was tabbed division MVP.
SERIES VS. MISSISSIPPI STATEThursday’s contest marks the second meeting between Texas and Mississippi State. The Bulldogs won the only meeting between the two teams, 71-63, on March 21, 2009, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Texas head coach
Gail Goestenkors is 1-1 against Mississippi State, having previously won a neutral site contest in 1995 while at the helm of the Duke program.
Series Quick Facts
Overall Series Record - Mississippi State, 1-0
Most UT points - 63 (March 21, 2009)
Most MSU points - 71 (March 21, 2009)
Fewest UT points - 63 (March 21, 2009)
Fewest MSU points - 71 (March 21, 2009)
Biggest UT margin - N/A
Biggest MSU margin - 8 (March 21, 2009)
In overtime - N/A
LAST TIME VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Earnesia Williams had 17 points, Brittainey Raven 15 and Kathleen Nash 11, but it wasn’t enough as No. 11-seed Mississippi State defeated sixth-seeded Texas 71-63 in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 21, 2009. Trailing 34-24 at the half, Texas used a 9-0 run built on five points by Raven, including a 3 from the left wing with 3:50 left to cut the lead to 57-55. Donnisha Tate hit a follow to end the Texas surge, but the Longhorns came right back on two foul shots by Raven and Ashleigh Fontenette’s bank shot in the paint to tie it at 59 with 2:15 left. After a pair of Texas turnovers, Mississippi State scored their final 10 points of the game on foul shots - in as many attempts - to clinch the upset.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
Texas is ranked No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll (Nov. 23) and No. 13 in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll (Nov. 17). UT faced its first of seven opponents in the regular season that are ranked in the current polls in No. 1/1 Connecticut (L, 58-83) on Nov. 13 in San Antonio. The Horns’ other contests against the Top 25 include No. 6/5 Tennessee (Dec. 6 in Knoxville), No. 8/9 Baylor (Jan. 31 in Austin, March 7 in Waco), No. 11/8 Texas A&M (Jan. 9 in Austin, Feb. 20 in College Station), No. 18/rv Kansas (Feb. 13 in Lawrence), No. 20/16 Oklahoma (Feb. 3 in Norman, Feb. 27 in Austin) and No. 19/rv Mississippi State (Nov. 26 in Virgin Islands).
LAST TIME OUT: NORTH TEXAS (NOV. 20)
Kat Nash scored 20 points and No. 10 Texas shook off a loss to Connecticut by beating North Texas 96-52 on Nov. 20. After falling 83-58 to the top-ranked Huskies three days earlier, the Longhorns (2-1) had this one under control midway through the first half. Six Texas players scored in double figures. Ashley Gayle finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks. She also tried to dunk on a fast break in the second half but missed. Freshman Cokie Reed scored six straight points and Gayle scored seven to push the Longhorns to a 30-16 lead midway through the first half. Nash made consecutive 3-pointers from the right corner and Texas took a 44-25 lead into halftime.
TEXAS/NORTH TEXAS GAME NOTES
- UT held its biggest halftime lead of the season, 44-25
- The Longhorns held the Mean Green to 52 points, 14.5 below their scoring average of 66.5
- Over the span of 4 minutes and 39 seconds in the second half (16:03-11:24), Texas used an 18-2 scoring run to build a 70-32 lead.
- The Longhorns shot 55.9 percent from the field for their first game with 50 percent or better shooting from the field since 50 percent (24-of-48 FG) against Missouri (Feb. 24, 2009).
- Texas recorded a season-high 19 assists after posting 25 over its first two outings of the season.
- Six UT players notched double-digit scoring for the first time this season (Williams, Ka. Nash, Gayle, Raven, Reed)
- All 10 players scored at least two points for the first time this season
Player spotlight: Ashley Gayle
- Posted her first career double-double with 12 points (4-of-9 FG, 4-of-5 FT) and a career-high 10 rebounds.
- Led the team in rebounding for the fourth time of her career and the second time this season.
- Tied career high with 12 points.
- Scored 10 or more points for the second time of her career.
- Tied career high of seven blocks to move her career total to 73 ... 15th game of her career with two or more blocks.
- Eighth-straight game with at least one block, carrying over from 2008-09 season.
RAVEN CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Singing karaoke is one of senior guard Brittainey Raven’s favorite hobbies, but she isn’t climbing the musical charts just yet. Instead, she’s climbing Texas’ all-time leading scorer chart after becoming the 33rd player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point mark last season. Raven currently ranks 21st with 1,265 career points.
Texas 1,000 Career Points Club Milestones
Rank Points Name Years
1. 2,523 Annette Smith 1981-86
5. 1,917 Tiffany Jackson 2003-07
T9. 1,708 Stacy Stephens 2000-04
Heather Schreiber 2001-05
15. 1,518 Kim Basinger 1976-79
20. 1,305 Angela Jackson 1994-98
21. 1,265 Brittainey Raven 2006-present
POWER IN THE POST POSITION
With a pair of 6-4 posts in sophomore Ashley Gayle and freshman Cokie Reed, UT’s frontcourt could prove to be serious threats to opponents’ offensive attacks. Together, the duo is averaging 11.0 rpg (Gayle - 7.0, Reed - 4.0), and Gayle has accounted for 72 percent of Texas’ blocks (13 of 18).
ARRIARAN AND KAT NASH CHASING 3-POINT RECORD
Senior guard Erika Arriaran (7th, 113 3FG) and junior guard Kathleen Nash (8th, 102 3FG) enter the 2009-10 season having cracked the Texas all-time top 10 career list for most 3-point baskets made. Additionally, senior guard Brittainey Raven ranks 11th all-time with 84 baskets from beyond the arc.
Most 3-Point Baskets Made in UT History
Rk. Name (Seasons) Total
1. Danielle Viglione (1993-97) 293
2. Jamie Carey (2002-05) 193
3. Heather Schreiber (2001-05) 189
4. Kim Lummus (1995-99) 179
5. Alisha Sare (1999-2003) 122
6. Vicki Hall (1988-93) 115
7. Erika Arriaran (2005-pr.) 113
8. Kathleen Nash (2007-pr.) 102
9. Johnna Pointer (1988-92) 101
10. Asha Hill (1998-2002) 96
11. Brittainey Raven (2006-pr.) 84
