January 10, 2006
The Texas A&M Aggies (12-3, 1-1) will look to extend an 11-game home winning streak when they host the Kansas State Wildcats (11-2, 1-1) Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena.
A&M has won 10 of its last 11 games since returning from Hawaii in November. It included a 10 game winning streak which is the second longest in school history.
The Aggies have won 11 straight games at Reed Arena dating to last season?â„¢s WNIT postseason contests. It is the second longest home winning streak at A&M. The longest is 17 games set in 1994-95.
A&M is one of four unbeaten Big 12 teams at home this season. A win by the Aggies will give them the second longest current home winning streak at 12 games with Kansas. Baylor holds a 23-game home winning streak.
Local emergency personnel will be honored at the game. Prior to the game, fire trucks, police cars, motorcycles, and K9 units will be displayed in front of the arena?â„¢s main entrance. During the game, City of Bryan Fire and Police have challenged City of College Station Fire and Police Departments to a variety of contests at halftime.
All emergency personnel like fire fighters, police officers, ambulance staff, and other emergency volunteers from any city will be admitted for $2. Their family members will also receive $2 admission.
The Aggies will be seeking their first win over Kansas State since Jan. 1999. A&M has dropped six consecutive games to the Wildcats and have not beaten them at Reed Arena.
A&M?â„¢s last win over Kansas State came in Manhattan, Kan. (73-59) in 1999. The Aggies?â„¢ last win at home came in 1998 (81-76) at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Kansas State reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Championship last season. The Wildcats lost their last Big 12 road game when they fell 68-42 Saturday at Missouri.
Currently, A&M is No. 54 in CollegeRPI.com and No. 35 in the Sagarin Ratings. The Aggies are not yet receiving votes in the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls.
The Aggies share the Big 12 lead with Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma in terms of overall wins with 12.
A&M will be looking to start the Big 12 campaign 2-1 for the first time since 2002 and for just the second time since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to 2002, the last time the Aggies started a conference slate with a 2-1 or better record was 1994-95 when they put together a 4-0 beginning.
A&M enters the Kansas State game after beating dropping a one-point decision at Texas Tech, 56-55, this past Saturday in Lubbock. A&M overcame an 11-point second half deficit to outscore the Lady Raiders 19-9 the rest of the way. The Aggies could not convert several chances in the final 2:30 to tie or take the lead. This while A&M?â„¢s defense held Texas Tech to one field goal in the final 7:30.
It was just the third game in the all-time series decided by one-point.
Freshman Takia Starks had a team-high 14 points while freshman La Toya Micheaux pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds.
A&M?â„¢s defense has been a major factor in the team?â„¢s success this season.
The Aggies are leading the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense at 55.8 points allowed per game. A&M also leads the league in steals per game at 11.60, turnover margin at +10.53 and blocks at 6.47.
The Aggies have held each of their two league opponents to double-digits below their normal scoring output (OSU -18.3 pts., TT -14.6 pts.)
A&M?â„¢s defense has been particularly stingy in the first half of games allowing 25.4 points while its offense is averaging 38 points.
Last season, the Aggies ranked eighth in the Big 12 in scoring offense averaging 64.3 points a game.
This season, the Aggies are averaging 74.5 points a game ranking fourth in the league just 3.3 points out of first place.
A&M and Missouri are the only two teams in the Big 12 to rank in the top five in scoring offense and scoring defense.
Three Aggies are scoring double-digits this season. Sophomore Morenike Atunrase, last year?â„¢s Big 12 Freshman of the Year, leads the team at 12.2 points, while freshman Takia Starks is second at 11.8 points a game. Freshman Danielle Gant is third at 10.2. Senior Tamea Scales is fourth on the team at 9.1 points.
Gant leads the way for the Aggies in shooting at 57 percent. Gant has scored double-digits in seven games. She has started in one game this season and is usually the first player off the bench for the Aggies.
Starks is a two-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and with Gant, the two average 23+ minutes of playing time. Starks has started in 10 of 15 games and has seen playing time at point guard.
Scales has quiety been recording consistently impressive numbers. Her consistency was rewarded in Las Vegas when she was named the Duel in the Desert?â„¢s Most Valuable Player. Scales, who moved to the four position this season from the five position last season is averaging 9.1 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds. She has pulled down 51 offensive rebounds to rank fourth in the Big 12 in per game average at 3.40.
Scales has double-digits in eight of the last 14 games and three double-doubles. Scales recorded her third double-double of the season with a career-best 21 points and 11 rebounds against Utah State.
She also leads the team in charges taken with 13.
The Aggies?â„¢ roster is composed of 73 percent of players in their first or second year in the program.
Atunrase has blocked 30 shots this season (2.0 average). She now has 87 career blocks to rank fourth all-time at A&M. At 5-foot-10, Atunrase is shorter than all three players who rank ahead of her. She blocked a school record 57 shots last season and needs three blocks to move into third place all-time at the school.