Dec. 16, 2010
Complete game notes
#23/24 TEXAS (5-3) vs. SMU (5-3)
Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010 • 2:30 p.m. Central • BTI Classic
Thomas & Mack Center (18,500) • Las Vegas, Nev.
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: None.
RADIO: KVET-AM 1300 "The Zone" will broadcast Saturday's game between Texas and SMU. Jon Madani (pxp) and Carol Ross (analyst) will call the action.
SERIES: Texas leads, 34-3. Last meeting: Texas 79-77 (Feb. 17, 1996; Dallas)
NOTABLES
• HOLIDAY SCHEDULE ... Texas is set to compete in the first of two holiday tournaments this weekend at the BTI Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. The Longhorns will face SMU (Dec. 18), host UNLV (Dec. 19) and USF (Dec. 20) as part of the three-day tourney. Following Christmas, UT will head west once again to participate in the Maggie Dixon Surf `n Slam Classic in San Diego, Calif.
• TRIPLE THREAT ... Senior guard Kathleen Nash is on the verge of becoming the only player in Texas history to record 1,000+ points, 700+ rebounds and 190 3FG. Through 109 games, Nash has 1,194 points, 727 rebounds and 184 3FG. Heather Schreiber (2001-05) accomplished nearly the same feat in all 133 career games with 1,708 points, 854 rebounds and 189 3FG.
• KRISTEN NASH IS BACK ... Redshirt senior Kristen Nash has returned to the Texas Women's Basketball roster effective immediately. Nash graduated in May 2010 with a degree in corporate communications and is currently enrolled in graduate school at UT. She received a medical redshirt for the 2006-07 season after suffering a season-ending stress fracture of the right foot. The forward adds experience and depth to the Longhorn lineup before they travel to Sin City.
• FIVE AVERAGING DOUBLE DIGITS ... Five Longhorns are averaging double-digit scoring:
Kathleen Nash (17.3 ppg),
Ashleigh Fontenette (16.5 ppg),
Chassidy Fussell (15.4 ppg),
Yvonne Anderson (11.0 ppg) and
Chelsea Bass (10.1 ppg).
SERIES VS. SMUSaturday's contest marks the 38th meeting between former Southwest Conference rivals Texas and SMU. The series between the league foes dates back to Feb. 1, 1975, when the Horns won their first of 28-consecutive games against the Mustangs. SMU was victorious in three of the last six contests, but Texas narrowly won both of the most recent games on Jan. 20, 1996 (84-83 in Austin) and Feb. 17, 1996 (79-77 in Dallas). This is the first meeting between the Horns and Mustangs since the demise of the Southwest Conference following the 1995-96 season.
Series Quick Facts
Overall Series Record - Texas, 34-3
Most UT points - 107 (Feb. 23, 1985)
Most SMU points - 94 (Feb. 28, 1989)
Fewest UT points - 65 (Mar. 10, 1995)
Fewest SMU points - 39 (Feb. 1, 1983)
Biggest UT margin - 61 (Dec. 15, 1978)
Biggest SMU margin - 16 (Mar. 10, 1995)
In overtime - N/A
GOESTENKORS VS. SMU
Saturday's contest marks the second meeting between Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors and SMU. Goestenkors led Duke to a 73-45 win over the Mustangs in the Caribbean Classic (Cancun, Mexico) on Dec. 20, 2006 in her last season with the Blue Devils.
HOMECOMING FOR GAYLE
Junior post Ashley Gayle is a native of Las Vegas, Nev. The Texas single-season blocks leader is a graduate of Bishop Gorman Catholic HS. Gayle was named the Nevada Class 4A Player of the Year after leading Bishop Gorman to its third-straight state championship in 2008.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
UT dropped two spots in The Associated Press to No. 23 and remained at No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll in the rankings for the fifth 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 most recently met No. 8/7 Tennessee in Austin on Dec. 12. UT is scheduled to meet four additional foes that are currently ranked: No. 2/3 Baylor (Jan. 12 in Austin, Feb. 12 in Waco), No. 8/8 Texas A&M (Jan. 19 in College Station, Feb. 27 in Austin), No. 12/11 Oklahoma (Jan. 16 in Austin, Feb. 19 in Norman) and No. 21/15 Iowa State (Feb. 21 in Ames).
LAST TIME OUT: VS. NO. 8/7 TENNESSEE (DEC. 12)
Angie Bjorklund scored 20 points in the first half and Meighan Simmons added 18 to lead No. 8 Tennessee to a 92-77 victory over No. 21 Texas. Bjorklund provided the early punch with four 3-pointers in the first half, then Simmons took over in the second as the Lady Vols (9-1) steadily pulled away and sent Texas (5-3) to its third loss against a ranked team. Kathleen Nash scored 21 points to lead Texas.
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.
Texas' All-time Triple-Doubles
Dec. 8, 2010 - Jr. Ashleigh Fontenette vs. Texas Pan American
17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists
Feb. 12, 2000 - Sr. Edwina Brown vs. Baylor
18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists
Dec. 12, 1998 - Jr. Edwina Brown vs. Southwest Texas
13 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists
Jan. 2, 1990 - Sr. Ellen Bayer vs. Texas Tech
12 points, 10 rebounds, 12 blocks
* - Jan. 9, 1982 - Jr. Terri Mackey vs. Kansas
14 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists
* - March 14, 1981 - So. Terri Mackey vs. Southern
12 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists
* - denotes Pre-NCAA era
PILING UP THE POINTS
In six games played at the Frank Erwin Center this year, Texas is averaging 94.5 ppg and a +31.5 scoring margin against its opponents. In all games, Texas is averaging 87.8 ppg for a mark that stands second-best in the Big 12 Conference. Furthermore, Texas is the only school in the league with three Top 15 scorers, including Kathleen Nash (sixth - 17.3 ppg), Ashleigh Fontenette (10th - 16.5 ppg) and Chassidy Fussell (15th - 15.4 ppg).
THIEVERY
Texas has recorded at least 10 or more steals in six games. Junior guard Ashleigh Fontenette leads the Longhorns with 30 steals and ranks fourth nationally (through Dec. 12) with 3.8 spg. Texas also leads the Big 12 Conference with 14.0 spg, a mark that stands 11th among all NCAA Division I teams.
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) against UTPA (Dec. 8). 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.
GOESTENKORS VS. TEXAS FOES
In non-conference action, Coach G has amassed a spotless 13-0 record against in-state opponents since taking over the helm of the UT program in 2007. The UTPA Broncs were the first non-conference Texas team to face the Longhorns this season.
TOUGH STRETCH
The Longhorns recently concluded a four-game span that included 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. 8 Tennessee (Dec. 12) in a 92-77 loss.
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 8.5 rpg, a mark that stands second to junior post Ashley Gayle's team-best 9.8 rpg. Texas sports a +8.0 rebounding margin.
