January 01, 2006
One of just eight remaining unbeaten teams in the nation, the Texas A&M Aggies play their first road game of the season when they close their non-conference schedule against the Pacific Tigers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (Pacific)/9 p.m. (Central) at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
Game #11
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (10-0)
vs.
PACIFIC TIGERS (8-4)
Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2005
9 p.m. (Central)/7 p.m. (Pacific)
Alex G. Spanos Center (6,150 cap.)
Stockton, Calif.
TELEVISION
None
RADIO
Texas A&M Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Dave South
Analyst: Al Pulliam
Sirius Satellite Radio: 147
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS
Pacific: Mike Millerick
209-946-2479 (office)
Texas A&M: Colin Killian
979-229-4706 (cell)
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 10-0 (0-0 Big 12)
Ranking: Receiving Votes (both polls)
Last Game: Beat Northwestern State (73-61) on Saturday
Coach: Billy Gillispie (Texas State ?'83)
Record: 61-42 (4th year)
at A&M: 31-10 (2nd year)
vs. Pacific: 0-0
Tentative Starters
No. Name Ht. Wt. Class PPG RPG APG
1 Acie Law IV 6-3 185 Jr. 14.4 2.7 3.3
22 Dominique Kirk 6-3 180 Sr. 7.5 4.0 3.4
10 Chris Walker 6-5 210 Sr. 2.4 1.5 0.2
42 Marlon Pompey 6-8 225 Jr. 8.3 3.5 1.5blk
30 Joseph Jones 6-9 250 So. 17.0 6.9 .607FG
PACIFIC TIGERS
Record: 8-4 (0-0 Big West)
Ranking: Unranked
Last Game: Beat UC Davis (84-51) on Dec. 29
Coach: Bob Thomason (Pacific ?'71)
Record: 346-244 (21st year)
at Pacific: 294-217 (18th year)
vs. Texas A&M : 0-1
Tentative Starters
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class PPG RPG APG
2 Johnny Gray G 6-1 180 Sr. 12.3 2.9 3.6
3 Mike Webb G 6-1 180 Sr. 9.9 2.9 2.7
30 Anthony Esparza F 6-5 200 Jr. 6.3 3.4 2.2
51 Michael White F 6-7 240 Jr. 8.3 3.8 1.8
13 Christian Maraker C 6-9 235 Sr. 17.5 9.0 1.9
Game Notes
* A&M has won 23 straight regular-season non-conference games, but only one (last year at Penn State) has been on the road.
* A&M is playing its first road game of the year after opening the season with 10 straight home victories. Pacific is 3-1 at home.
* A&M is coming off a 73-61 victory against Northwestern State on Saturday while Pacific is coming off an 84-51 win against UC Davis at home on Thursday.
* The last time A&M played a game in California was in 2000-01, when it lost at Long Beach State, 83-76.
Streaking Aggies
* The Aggies?â„¢ 10-0 start matches the fourth-best start in school history.
* Last year, A&M started 11-0, its best start since 1919-20.
* The 10-game winning streak ties for the fifth longest in school history and is the second longest (behind last year?â„¢s 11-game streak) since the 1959-60 Aggies also won 10 straight.
* Prior to last season, the last time A&M won 11 straight games or started 11-0 was in 1919-20.
About Pacific
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Enrollment: 4,500
Affiliation: NCAA Division I
Conference: Big West
Colors: Orange and black
Head Coach: Bob Thomason (Pacific ?'71)
Record at School: 294-217 (18th year)
Overall Record: 346-244 (21st year)
2004-05 Record (Conference): 27-4 (18-0, 1st)
2005 Postseason: 1-1 in NCAA Tournament
* The Tigers are 56-16 in the last three years and are combing off consecutive Big West championships.
* Pacific went 27-4 last year and beat Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It also posted a first-round NCAA victory in 2004.
* The Tigers have won four of their last five games, with the only loss in that span coming in overtime at UTEP (72-66).
* Pacific?â„¢s four losses have been at Oregon (84-62), at Santa Clara (63-60), at UTEP and at home against Nevada (77-70).
* Pacific coach Bob Thomason is a four-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year.
* The Tigers are led by senior forward Christian Maraker (6-9), who is averaging 1.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while making 90.4 percent from the free throw line.
* The only other Pacific player averaging in double figures is senior guard Johnny Gray, who is averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 3.6 assists.
Series Notes
* A&M leads the series, 5-1.
* The teams last met in 1995-96, with the Aggies posting a 77-72 victory in the consolation game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz.
* A&M beat the Tigers, 79-62, in its only previous trip to Stockton in 1984-85.
* Pacific?â„¢s lone win against the Aggies came in the first round of the All-American SportsClub Classic in Sacramento by a score of 78-77.
Coach Gillispie Comments
?Against Northwestern State, we got out to a big lead and all of sudden we think it?â„¢s cruise time and we make plays we don?â„¢t need to be making. We get a 17-point lead in the second half, which no one has done to them all year, and we make really bad decisions. That immaturity has to change. We have to make better decisions offensively and defensively. We better be ready to go on the road because Pacific is a really good team and has really good players. It will be a tough matchup for us.?
Northwestern State Recap
COLLEGE STATION (AP)- Joseph Jones had 22 points and nine rebounds in Texas A&M?â„¢s 73-61 victory against Northwestern State on Saturday. Marlon Pompey added a career-high 16 points off the bench, 12 in the first half, as the Aggies improved to 10-0 for the second consecutive season. Northwestern State (7-5) was within eight with just under five minutes remaining after trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, but a layup by Jones with 4:01 left pushed A&M?â„¢s lead back to double digits for good. Jermaine Wallace had eight of his team-leading 16 points in the second half for Northwestern State. Five players fouled out, and there were 61 fouls and 76 free throws. Each team shot 38 free throws, with Northwestern State making 28 to A&M?â„¢s 24. Both teams struggled from the field. The Aggies shot 38 percent to 34 for Northwestern State.
Looking Ahead
* After playing their first road game of the season on Tuesday at Pacific, the Aggies return home to open Big 12 Conference play on Saturday against Texas Tech (5 p.m.)
* The Red Raiders are 7-6 this season and finished 22-11 last year, advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.
* The Aggies travel to Stillwater, Okla., the following Wednesday to play Oklahoma State.
Who?â„¢s Hot?
* Since missing the Savannah State game with a concussion, junior Acie Law has averaged 14.7 points in the last three games.
* After missing the Savannah State game with a sprained ankle, sophomore Joseph Jones has averaged 20.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in the last three games.
* Junior Marlon Pompey scored a career-high 16 points with a season-best 6 rebounds against Northwestern State and also added a season-high 3 blocks.
* Senior Eddie Smith scored 12 points with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals vs. Northwestern State.
Talking Points
* The Aggies have beaten two teams ranked in the top 50 in the RPI (Auburn and Northwestern State)
* A&M ranks sixth nationally and second in the Big 12 in scoring margin at +21.3.
* A&M is one of just eight remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball.
* A&M has led at halftime in all 10 games this year and has not trailed in the second half. A&M is 25-2 under Billy Gillispie when leading at halftime.
* A&M leads the Big 12 and ranks 16th nationally in scoring defense at 56.8 points per game.
* In 41 games under Billy Gillispie, only one opponent has shot better than 48 percent against A&M.
* A&M leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in assists with 19.4 per game. A&M also leads the Big 12 in turnover margin (+8.9) and assists/turnovers ratio (1.35).
* The Aggies rank 16th nationally in assists/turnovers ratioo.
* A&M is forcing an average of 23.3 turnovers per game, most in the Big 12.
* A&M has won 23 straight regular-season non-conference games.
* A&M is 27-3 at home under Billy Gillispie.
* A&M is the only Big 12 team to average at least 78 points while allowing fewer than 60 per game.
* A&M is one of just nine teams to rank among the top 25 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions).
* A&M has scored 27.3 percent of its points from the free throw line, the most in the Big 12 and sixth most nationally.
* The Aggies rank second nationally in free throw rate (free throws made divided by field goal attempts) at 39.5 percent.
* A&M current crop of first-year players was ranked as the ninth best nationally by HoopScoop and that was before the late addition of 6-10 freshman Chinemelu Elonu. The early 2006 class also is ranked ninth nationally and includes four of the top 10 players in Texas.
*A&M has 16 Texas high school products on its 19-man roster, the most in school history. The season before Billy Gillispie?â„¢s arrival, the Aggies had just four Texas players, including two walk-ons.
* Acie Law and Marlon Pompey are the only players who were on the A&M roster two years ago. Of the 19 players listed, 90 percent are first or second-year players.