Dec. 10, 2010
Complete game notes
#21/24 TEXAS (5-2) vs. #8/7 Tennessee (8-1)
Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010 • 12 p.m. Central • FSN
Frank Erwin Center (16,734) • Austin, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by FSN (Time Warner Cable Ch. 54 in Austin). Brenda Van Lengen (pxp) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: KVET-AM 1300 “The Zone” will broadcast Sunday’s game between Texas and Tennessee. Craig Way (pxp) and Carol Ross (analyst) will call the action.
SERIES: Tennessee leads, 19-12. Last meeting: Tennessee 78-58 (Dec. 6, 2009; Knoxville)
NOTABLES
• TRIPLE DOUBLE ... Junior guard Ashleigh Fontenette’s triple-double (17 points, career-high 10 assists and career-high tying 10 rebounds) against UTPA on Dec. 8 was the sixth in Texas history. Fontenette became the first Longhorn since Edwina Brown (Feb. 12, 2000) to accomplish the feat.
• OWNING THE HOME COURT ... The Horns’ 112-59 victory over the Broncs on Wednesday night marked their 27th-consecutive non-conference regular-season victory at the Frank Erwin Center. UT’s streak dates back to a 64-61 victory over then-No. 10 Purdue on Jan. 7, 2007. Texas is a perfect 26-0 at home in non-conference regular-season contests under Goestenkors.
• BASS GOES BIG ... Freshman guard Chelsea Bass posted her first 20+ scoring output as a Longhorn with a career-high 29 points (9-of-19 FG, 4-of-7 3FG, 7-of-8 FT) on Wednesday night against UTPA. Her 29 points are the most by any Longhorn this season and the most by a Texas freshman since Danielle Viglione had 35 (13-of-22 FG, 8-of-11 3FG, 1-of-2 FT) against Arizona on Dec. 21, 1993.
• SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY ... The Horns’ meeting with the Lady Vols marks their third-consecutive Sunday contest against a ranked opponent. Texas faced No. 3/2 Stanford in Palo Alto on Nov. 28 before traveling to No. 25/25 Michigan State exactly one week ago.
SERIES VS. TENNESSEE
Sunday’s contest marks the 32nd meeting between Texas and Tennessee. Tennessee leads the all-time series 19-12. The series first began with an 84-60 Texas loss on Dec. 8, 1978, at a neutral site in the Mid-America Invitational. After that, the Longhorns went on to win seven of the next eight contests before the Lady Vols won the next 13 games. Over the last nine match ups, Texas leads 5-4, with four-straight wins in 2002 (Feb. 12 and Dec. 21), 2003 (Dec. 28) and 2004 (Nov. 25). The teams have traded wins on their home courts during Goestenkors’ four-year tenure at Texas. The Horns fell 92-67 on Nov. 18, 2007, and 78-58 on Dec. 6, 2009, both in Knoxville. Texas won the Dec. 14, 2008, meeting in Austin, 73-59.
Series Quick Facts
Overall Series Record - Tennessee, 19-12
Most UT points - 97 (Dec. 9, 1987)
Most Tenn. Points - 102 (Dec. 1, 2005)
Fewest UT points - 46 (Dec. 17, 2006)
Fewest Tenn. Points - 52 (Dec. 1, 1985)
Biggest UT margin - 31 (Dec. 11, 1984)
Biggest Tenn. Margin - 41 (Dec. 1, 2005)
In overtime - Tennessee, 1-0
GOESTENKORS VS. TENNESSEE
Sunday’s contest marks the 13th meeting between Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors and Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt. The all-time series between the two legends is split 6-6, with Goestenkors leading her teams to five victories in the last seven contests.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
UT dropped four spots in both The Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls to Nos. 21 and 24, respectively, in the rankings for the fourth week of the season. Having previously faced then-No. 3/2 Stanford (Nov. 28) and No. 25/25 Michigan State (Dec. 5) on the road, Texas is scheduled to meet six additional foes that are currently ranked: No. 2/3 Baylor (Jan. 12 in Austin, Feb. 12 in Waco), No. 7/8 Texas A&M (Jan. 19 in College Station, Feb. 27 in Austin), No. 8/7 Tennessee (Dec. 12 in Austin), No. 13/11 Oklahoma (Jan. 16 in Austin, Feb. 19 in Norman), No. 16/15 Iowa State (Feb. 21 in Ames) and No. rv/22 Nebraska (Feb. 15 in Austin).
LAST TIME OUT: VS. TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN (DEC. 8)
Chelsea Bass scored a career-high 29 points and No. 21 Texas overpowered Texas-Pan American 112-59 Wednesday night. Bass made a career-high four 3-pointers. Kathleen Nash scored 17 points and Ashleigh Fontenette finished with a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns. After losing two straight road games at Stanford and Michigan State, Texas (5-2) quickly jumped out to an early lead against the Broncs (4-6) scoring 20 unanswered points to start the game. Bianca Torre scored Texas-Pan American’s first basket of the game with 13:42 remaining in the half. With a 51-22 halftime lead, the Longhorns continued to pull away from Texas-Pan American in the second half paced by Ashley Gayle’s 10 second-half points. Texas hit triple digits for the second time this season on a Bass 3-pointer. Bass was fouled on the shot and made the free throw to complete the four-point play.
FLASHBACK: AT NO. 6/5 TENNESSEE (DEC. 6, 2009)
Despite 19 points by Brittainey Raven, No. 6 Tennessee handed No. 17 Texas a 78-58 loss in Knoxville. The Lady Volunteers limited the Longhorns to 30 percent shooting from the field. Tennessee shot 52.5 percent. A 3-pointer by Shekinna Stricklen with 7:10 left in the first half capped a 14-2 run, and another 3 by Stricklen sent the Lady Vols into halftime with a 41-24 lead. Tennessee led by at least 20 points for most of the second half. Raven led Texas with 19 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double of her career.
TOUGH STRETCH
The Longhorns are in the midst of a four game span that includes three AP Top 25 opponents. Texas’ stretch began with a 93-78 loss at No. 3 Stanford (Nov. 28) and a 71-57 loss at No. 25 Michigan State (Dec. 5). UT returned home to take on in-state rival Texas-Pan American (Dec. 8) in a 112-59 victory before hosting No. 4 Tennessee (Dec. 12).
PILING UP THE POINTS
In five games played at the Frank Erwin Center this year, Texas is averaging 98.0 ppg and a +40.8 scoring margin against its opponents. In all games, Texas is the averaging a Big 12-best 89.3 ppg. Furthermore, Texas is the only school in the league with three Top 20 scorers, including Kathleen Nash (eighth - 16.7 ppg), Ashleigh Fontenette (t-13th - 16.0 ppg) and Chassidy Fussell (16th - 15.0 ppg).
THIEVERY
Texas has recorded at least 10 or more steals in six games. Junior guard Ashleigh Fontenette leads the Longhorns with 29 steals and ranks second nationally (through Dec. 5) with 4.5 spg. Texas also leads the Big 12 Conference with 14.7 spg, a mark that stands 10th among all NCAA Division I teams.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The big statistical difference in Texas’ five wins and two losses this season can be traced to the defensive end of the court. In its five wins, Texas has held opponents to an average of 57.2 points per contest and a combined .318 percent FG shooting, while outrebounding the opponent by +16.0.
The Importance of Defense
5 Wins – Stat - 2 Losses
57.2 - Points per game allowed - 82.0
.318 (105-330) - Opponent FG% (FG-A) - .472 (67-142)
10.2 - Opponent’s assists per game - 17.0
+16.0 - Rebound margin - -5.0
FUSSELL EARNS LEAGUE HONOR
Freshman guard Chassidy Fussell was tabbed the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for games contested Nov. 15-21. Fussell averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in Texas’ wins over Northwestern State (Nov. 16) and Boston University (Nov. 21). Additionally, she became the first true freshman to begin her Longhorn career with three consecutive double-digit scoring efforts since Heather Schreiber in 2001, after putting up 20 points against Boston.
REBOUND ROUNDUP
Senior Kathleen Nash’s pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds against Boston University, becoming the first Longhorn to record 20+ boards since Stacy Stephens pulled down 22 in 2004. Nash is averaging 9.0 rpg, a mark that stands second to junior post Ashley Gayle’s team-best 9.4 rpg. Texas sports a +10.0 rebounding margin.
STREAKIN’
Senior guard Kathleen Nash has hit at least one three-point basket in each of Texas’ last 19 games. Her streak dates back to Feb. 7, 2010, when she made three treys in an 81-51 UT win over Texas Tech. Nash holds the UT single-season 3-point percentage record (2009-10; 68-of-144, .472) and finished last season ranked third nationally among all NCAA Division I players.
TEXAS TRADITION
The Longhorns hold an all-time record of 891-299 (.749) since their inaugural season in 1974-75. Texas’ tradition ranks fifth all-time in both NCAA Division I winning percentage and number of victories.
QUINTET IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Five Longhorns are averaging double-digit scoring through seven games. Senior guard Kathleen Nash leads UT with 16.7 ppg. Junior guard Ashleigh Fontenette is netting 16.0 ppg and freshman guard Chassidy Fussell is also adding 15.0 ppg. Freshman guard Chelsea Bass contributes 11.4 ppg while junior guard Yvonne Anderson rounds out the quintet with 11.0 ppg.
