Dec. 18, 2009
Complete game notes
#17/21 TEXAS (6-3) vs. Texas Southern (2-6)
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 • 2 p.m. Central
Frank Erwin Center (16,734) • Austin, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: None. Free live video feed at www.TexasSports.tv.
RADIO: KVET-AM 1300 “The Zone” will broadcast Sunday’s game between Texas and Texas Southern. Craig Way (pxp) and Carol Ross (analyst) will call the action.
SERIES: Texas leads, 3-0. Last meeting: Texas 88-66 (Feb. 3, 1982; Austin, Texas)
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS
$5 arena reserved web coupon [PDF]
Texas Rewind: Following the basketball game, players and coaches will host a FREE Q&A session in the Lone Star Room for fans.
NOTABLES
• GOESTENKORS CLOSING IN ON 50 WINS ... Head coach Gail Goestenkors is just one win shy of her 50th victory at UT. Entering Sunday’s game against Texas Southern, the third-year coach has compiled a 49-28 record on the Forty Acres.
• RAVEN LEADING THE BENCH ... Over the last three games, senior guard Brittainey Raven has put together her three best scoring performances of the season. Raven led UT in scoring against Tennessee (Dec. 6) with 19 points and Ole Miss (Dec. 16) with 17 points, and added 16 points against Oral Roberts (Dec. 1). Over the same stretch, she has averaged a team-high 17.3 ppg, all while coming off the bench for the Horns.
• REED BREAKING OUT ... Freshman post
Cokie Reed is finding her offensive rhythm for UT in the month of December. In the Longhorns’ first three games of the month, Reed is averaging 7.0 ppg on 50 percent shooting from the field (9-of-18). She notched her third double-digit scoring effort of the season against Ole Miss (Dec. 16) with 12 points.
SERIES VS. TEXAS SOUTHERN
Sunday’s contest marks the fourth meeting between Texas and Texas Southern. The Longhorns hold a perfect 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have not met since Feb. 3, 1982, when UT claimed an 88-66 victory in Austin. The squads initially met in the Houston Invitational on Feb. 9, 1979, when the Longhorns prevailed 93-58. The lone December contest prior to Sunday’s meeting between the Longhorns and Tigers was a 79-50 Texas victory on Dec. 13, 1981. UT is 2-0 against Texas Southern in Austin.
GOESTENKORS VS. TEXAS FOES
In non-conference action, Coach G has amassed a spotless 10-0 record against in-state opponents since taking over the helm of the UT program in 2007. In her first year on the Forty Acres, Goestenkors recorded non-conference wins over Lamar (Nov. 15), UT Arlington (Nov. 29), Sam Houston State (Dec. 2), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 8) and UT-Pan American (Jan. 4). Last season, she posted wins against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Nov. 20), UTEP (Dec. 28), and Lamar (Jan. 3). Goestenkors has notched victories over UTSA (Nov. 13) and North Texas (Nov. 20) in 2009.
A CHECK OF THE POLLS
Texas is ranked No. 17 in the latest Associated Press poll (Dec. 14) and No. 21 in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll (Dec. 15). Following three non-conference contests against ranked opponents (Connecticut, Mississippi State, Tennessee), the Horns’ are expected to face five Big 12 opponents ranked in the Top 25: No. 6/5 Baylor (Jan. 31 in Austin, March 7 in Waco), No. 13/11 Texas A&M (Jan. 9 in Austin, Feb. 20 in College Station), No. 23/rv Kansas (Feb. 13 in Lawrence), No. 15/15 Oklahoma (Feb. 3 in Norman, Feb. 27 in Austin) and No. 20/18 Nebraska (Jan. 12 in Lincoln).
LAST TIME OUT: OLE MISS (DEC. 16)
Brittainey Raven had 17 points and eight rebounds to help No. 17 Texas come back to beat Mississippi 64-58 on Dec. 16. Down seven points with just under eight minutes remaining, the Longhorns (6-3) closed out the game on a 22-9 run. Erika Arriaran scored 13 points and Cokie Reed had 12 for Texas. Shantell Black led Ole Miss (6-4) with 15 points and Bianca Thomas added 13. Kat Nash made a 3-pointer and a putback to get the Longhorns going and close the gap to 49-47. Arriaran put Texas up on one of her three 3-pointers, and after Ole Miss tied it on a free throw, Yvonne Anderson answered with another 3. The Rebels had a chance to make it a one-possession game with 20 seconds left. LaKendra Phillips had a chance at a three-point play but missed the free throw and Kayla Melson missed a follow shot that could have gotten the Rebels within two points.
STREAKIN’
Senior guard Brittainey Raven is riding a streak of 14-consecutive made free throws, dating back to her final three attempts against Rutgers (Nov. 28) and spanning games against Oral Roberts (2-of-2), Tennessee (4-of-4) and Ole Miss (5-of-5). Earlier in the season, Raven strung together 16-consecutive free throws in a three-game span. Through nine games, Raven is hitting a team-high 82.9 percent (34-of-41) from the line. Additionally, Raven has scored in double figures for 14-straight games dating back to March 4, 2009.
BALANCED EFFORT
Texas is averaging 70.9 points per game with nine of its 10 players accounting for three or more points per contest. Five are also posting 6.0 or more points per game. Additionally, six players are corralling 3.0 or more boards per outing.
HITTING THE BOARDS
Texas has outrebounded four of its opponents this season and matched two opponents through nine games. Texas enters Sunday’s game against Texas Southern with a +3.1 rebounding margin. Junior guard Kathleen Nash is UT’s leading rebounder with 7.3 boards per game, while sophomore post Ashley Gayle is pulling down 6.3 rpg.
LONG RANGE SUCCESS
Texas is 6-0 this season when out-shooting its opponent from 3-point range. The Longhorns shot a season-high 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from beyond the arc against North Texas (Nov. 20), and have five or more 3-point baskets in seven of their nine games, including a season-high 12 3FG against Oral Roberts (Dec. 1).
HORNS AT HOME
Now in its 33rd year of play in the Frank Erwin Center, Texas has posted an all-time record of 408-72 (.850) in the building. Texas has an all-time 75-51 (.595) mark against AP Top 25 teams at home, and boasts a 5-5 (.500) record under third-year head coach Gail Goestenkors. The Horns have won 26 of their last 33 home contests under Coach G.
