January 13, 2006
The Texas A&M Aggies (13-3, 2-1) will look to post its first 3-1 Big 12 Conference start when it travels to face the Kansas Jayhawks (12-2, 1-2) Sunday at 1 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.
A&M has won 11 of its last 12 games since returning from Hawaii in November. It included a 10 game winning streak which is the second longest in school history.
The Aggies?â„¢ lone Big 12 loss came at Texas Tech, 56-55, on Jan. 7.
The Aggies will step away from its home court Reed Arena for the second time in three games. A&M has won 12 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. The Aggies hold the second longest current home winning streak in the league at 12 games with Kansas. Baylor holds a 24-game home winning streak.
The Jayhawks are undefeated at home this season with a 12-0 mark after posting a 9-7 record at Allen Fieldhouse last season. They are receiving votes in both top 25 polls.
A&M has won three out of the last four meetings with the Jayhawks including two straight and the last two contests in Lawrence.
Kansas enters the game after losing at Colorado, 74-65, Tuesday in Boulder, Colo.
Currently, A&M is No. 42 in CollegeRPI.com and No. 29 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 Missouri in terms of overall wins with 13. It is the third time since 1996 that the Aggies have recorded 13 or more overall wins.
The last time the Aggies?â„¢ started 2-1 in conference play was 2002. It is 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 game after beating Kansas State, 66-39, Wednesday at Reed Arena.
It was the largest margin of victory in a Big 12 game for the Aggies and the fewest points allowed by the Aggies in a conference game ever.
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 and are No. 19 in the NCAA at 54.8 points allowed per game. A&M also leads the league in number of steals, turnover margin at +11.00 and blocks at 6.25.
The Aggies have held each of their three league opponents to double-digits below their normal scoring output (OSU -18.3 pts., TT -14.6 pts., KSU -33.8 pts.)
A&M?â„¢s defense has been particularly stingy in the first half of games allowing 25.1 points while its offense is averaging 37.6 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 73.9 points a game ranking fourth in the league just 3.5 points out of first place.
A&M, Baylor and Missouri are the only three teams in the Big 12 to rank in the top five in scoring offense and scoring defense.
Two Aggies are scoring double-digits this season. Sophomore Morenike Atunrase, last year?â„¢s Big 12 Freshman of the Year, leads the team at 12.5 points while freshman Takia Starks is second at 11.4 points a game. Freshman Danielle Gant is third at 9.9. Senior Tamea Scales is fourth on the team at 9.3 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 11 of 16 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 9.3 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. She has pulled down 53 offensive rebounds to rank fifth in the Big 12 in per game average at 3.31.
Scales has double-digits in nine of the last 15 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 14.
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. 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.