March 13, 2006
The Texas A&M women's basketball team will face TCU on Sunday, March 19 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the selection committee announced Monday.
The Aggies earned a No. 6 seed in the Cleveland Regional and will travel to Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, N.J. for first- and second-round action. A&M will meet 11th-seeded TCU in the first round on Sunday at approximately 8:30 p.m. (CST) and the game will air on ESPN2.
The winner of that game will face the winner of No. 3-seeded Rutgers and No. 14-seeded Dartmouth in the second round on Tuesday.
The Aggies are making their third overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 1996. A&M has a 2-2 all-time record in the tournament, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 1994 and falling in the first round in '96.
Texas A&M enters the tournament with a 23-8 overall record, marking the Aggies' most victories since 1994 and the third most in school history. A&M finished 11-5 and in third place in the Big 12, setting a school record for Big 12 wins and posting the Aggies' highest finish in the conference since the league's inception in the 1996-97 season.
TCU finished the season with an 18-11 record and finished tied for third in the Mountain West Conference with an 11-5 mark.
With the NCAA berth, A&M head coach Gary Blair became the fourth coach in NCAA history to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament. Blair also guided Stephen F. Austin and Arkansas to NCAA appearances.
Fans are asked to contact the Texas A&M Athletic Ticket Office at 1-888-99-AGGIE or by logging on to www.12thmanfoundation.com.
Texas A&M Postseason Notes
- Record: 23-8
- Rankings: #20 in AP/#22 in ESPN/USA Today
- Will be making third all-time appearance (NCAA record: 2-2)
- First appearance since 1996
- A&M finished in third place in the Big 12 this season. Previously never better than ninth. Preseason picked seventh.
- First Top 25 rankings since 1996
- Most wins (23-8) since 1994. Third most in school history
- Matched school record for most conference wins (1994)
- Top defense in Big 12
- Second best two-year turn around in Big 12 history (+7 in league play)
- 73 percent of team in first or second year with program
- Three sophomores and two freshmen regularly start
- Freshmen and sophomores account for 75 percent of team's scoring
- A&M reached WNIT quarterfinals last season
Texas A&M's Seed History
- 1994: No. 13 in West Region; reached Sweet 16 (2-1)
- 1996: No. 7 in West Region; reached first round (0-1)
The Coach
- Coach Gary Blair (3rd year at A&M) will become fourth coach in NCAA history to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament. He also took Stephen F. Austin and Arkansas to the tournament.
- Guided Arkansas to the Final Four in 1998.
- Has never lost an opening round game in 11 appearances
- 6 appearances at Stephen F. Austin
- 5 appearances at Arkansas
- 14-11 all-time record in NCAAs
- 11 all-time appearances in NCAAs (20th among active coaches)
- 5 NCAA Sweet 16 appearances