December 05, 2007
Riding a three-game winning streak, the 11th-ranked Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball team (6-1) hosts Florida State (6-2) on Thursday, Dec. 6 at Reed Arena. Tipoff between the Aggies and Seminoles is set for 7 p.m. In a first time meeting between the two schools, A&M will face its second ACC opponent of the season next to a 53-46 loss to Wake Forest at the 2007 Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Aggies look to become the first Big 12 Conference team to pick up a victory over an ACC squad this season. FSU will be the first of an upcoming three-game homestand for A&M which includes contests versus New Orleans on Dec. 9 and No. 14 Auburn on Dec. 15. The A&M defense has held opponents to 49.6 points per game which ranks second-best in the Big 12, but the Aggies will have to defend an FSU offense which has produced an output of 78.0 points per game and is shooting 49.7 percent from the floor.
GAME PROMOTIONS
For the second consecutive year, A&M will host ?Hoops for Health? in which employees of the medical and care industry in the Bryan and College Station area have been invited to the watch the Aggies take on Florida State. Thursday?â„¢s game will also be the first of five men?â„¢s and women?â„¢s basketball games during the holiday season that Aggie Athletes Involved will conduct their annual Toy Drive. All donations will benefit Toys for Tots and fans who donate an item will be able to receive half price admission into the game.
THE SEMINOLES AT A GLANCE
Florida State is picked to finish fourth in the ACC after making the school?â„¢s first-ever Sweet 16 appearance in last year?â„¢s NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles were previously ranked No. 21 and No. 22 in last week?â„¢s national polls and are currently five spots (No. 30) out of the AP Poll and three spots in the Coaches Poll (No. 28). A&M is the last leg of a four-game road swing for FSU which included a 85-75 loss at Oakland on Dec. 2. The Seminoles return more than 70 percent of their offense from a year ago including three players who are currently averaging double figures in scoring: junior Tanae Davis-Cain (13.8), sophomore Jacinta Monroe (13.8) and junior Mara Freshour (13.5). A&M is the second top 25 opponent FSU will look to get past next to a tough 79-68 loss at No. 24 DePaul on Nov. 16.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2007-08 Stats)
#10 A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin, G, 5-3, Sr. (8.3 ppg, 4.4 apg)
#3 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, Jr. (17.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
#55 Danielle Gant, G/F, 5-11, Jr. (8.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
#33 Ashlaa Horton, F, 6-1, So. (3.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
#12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, Jr. (5.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
FLORIDA STATE
No. Name (2007-08 Stats)
#22 Shante Williams, G, 5-9, Sr. (8.8 ppg, 4.1 apg)
#20 Tanae Davis-Cain, G, 5-11, Jr. (13.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
#1 Angel Gray, G, 5-9, So. (4.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
#10 Mara Freshour, G, 6-1, Jr. (13.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
#50 Jacinta Monroe, F, 6-4, So. (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
SERIES NOTES
Texas A&M is 1-3 all-time against teams hailing from the ACC. The Aggies have only met three schools from the nation?â„¢s third-best women?â„¢s basketball conference including a recent meeting with Wake Forest (0-1) at the 2007 Paradise Jam on Nov. 23 coupled with past matchups with Duke (1-0) in 1995 and Miami (0-2) in 1985 and 2002.
DID YOU KNOW?
â–ª Florida State is one of seven non-conference opponents that A&M will face in first time meetings on the hardwood in the 34-year history of the women?â„¢s basketball program. The Aggies are 2-1 this season in first time opponent meetings which includes wins over Indiana and Michigan. A&M is also set to start all-time series with Auburn, New Orleans and North Carolina A&T.
â–ª Three Big 12 schools have played ACC opponents this season and have gone 0-3. A&M was upset by unranked Wake Forest (53-46) on Nov. 23, while Oklahoma fell to 2006 NCAA Champion Maryland (76-66) on Nov. 11 and Texas lost to Virginia (86-83) on Nov. 23.
â–ª Both the FSU women?â„¢s basketball and women?â„¢s soccer teams will visit College Station this week as A&M plays host to the 2007 NCAA Women?â„¢s College Cup on Dec. 7 and 9 at the Aggie Soccer Stadium.
HOW A&M GOT ITS GROOVE BACK
A&M is steadily finding its groove back when it comes to field-goal percentage improving to its current 39.4 shooting percentage. The Aggies shot 40 percent (24-of-60) from the floor at TCU which marked the third time this season to shoot better than 40 percent next to a season-high 47.5 percent (29-of-61) against Michigan and 40.3 percent (25-of-62) versus Prairie View A&M. Last season, A&M shot 41.8 percent in 32 games played. Senior Patrice Reado is currently shooting a team-best 57.5 percent from the floor followed by sophomore Damitria Buchanan (54.8), junior Takia Starks (44.1) and junior Danielle Gant (41.2).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Aggies will look to extend their home court win streak versus Florida State Thursday. Last season, A&M turned in the best Division I home-court record in the nation going an undefeated 16-0 at Reed Arena. The Aggies have compiled 20 consecutive home wins at Reed Arena which includes two home victories against Big 12 rivals Texas and Iowa State at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season. A&M is currently one of nine Big 12 schools which remain undefeated at its home venue with a 2-0 mark.
AGGIES VERSUS NON-CONFERENCE FOES
Texas A&M has posted an impressive 44-11 record in non-conference play in the Gary Blair Era (2003-Present). The Aggies have won 44 of its last 55 games (.800) outside of Big 12 Conference competition including the last 16 out of 19 (.842) against non-conference foes. All three of their last non-conference losses have occurred on the road or at a neutral site.
BUCHANAN BLOCK PARTY
Sophomore Damitria Buchanan has been a major contributor in A&M?â„¢s post play this season. After averaging just 4.9 minutes per game as a freshman a year ago, Buchanan is now averaging 17.3 minutes for the Aggies and has played in all seven games of the season with three starts. She currently leads the team in blocked shots (11) which is tied for seventh-best among Big 12 leaders. Buchanan has made a career-high three blocked shots twice this season versus Wichita State on Nov. 22 and TCU on Dec. 2. She has swatted away a shot in all but one game this season and has 22 total for her career at A&M.
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Santa Claus has been very good to the Aggies in the month of December during the Gary Blair Era. A&M has decked the halls of Reed Arena with a 16-2 home record in the month of December since Blair?â„¢s first season in 2003-04. Overall, the Aggies have compiled a 19-4 record in the month of December under the Blair mistletoe. In fact, they went undefeated twice during the holiday season in 2005-06 (8-0) and 2004-05 (4-0).
LOOKING AT THE RPI
Texas A&M is currently rated No. 15 in the latest CollegeRPI.com index with the 34th-stongest schedule in the nation. Two of its next four opponents are rated in the top 30 including Florida State (92), New Orleans (163), Auburn (27) and George Washington (25). The Big 12 is rated the second-best conference in the country behind the Big East Conference with its league schools winning a combined 78.6 percent (66-18) of their games as of Dec. 5. In all, A&M boasts eight opponents on its 2007-08 slate with an RPI of 50 or better.
TCU RECAP
Texas A&M received season-high scoring efforts from veterans Takia Starks, A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin and Patrice Reado to lift the Aggies to a 68-58 victory over old Southwest Conference rival TCU on Dec. 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The victory avenged a 69-65 loss that the Lady Frogs handed the Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006. Starks led the way with 24 points, which included 12 points in each half, Franklin put in 19 and Reado contributed 17 to account for 60 of the Aggies?â„¢ 68 points. TCU took a two-point lead of 28-26 into halftime, but an early rally by the Aggies gave A&M a six-point lead of 38-32 with 15:24 remaining in the second period. The Aggies increased their lead to a game-high 15 points with 9:11 remaining and then held off the Frogs down the stretch. The Aggies?â„¢ victory marked their second road win of the season over a former SWC foe. A&M also beat SMU, 62-57, in the season-opener. A&M handed TCU only its third home loss in the last 26 games at Daniel-Meyers Coliseum.
AGGIES ON THE RADIO
All Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball games can be heard via a radio broadcast on the Texas A&M Sports Network. Play-by-play announcer Tom Turbiville will call the action live from Reed Arena alongside color analyst Tap Bentz on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on www.AggieAthletics.com.
TEXAS A&M IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
A&M moved up a spot to No. 12 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on Monday and No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. The Aggies have appeared a program-best 30-straight weeks in the AP Poll and 25-straight weeks in the Coaches Poll since the 2005-06 season. They were ranked No. 11 in both preseason national polls which marked their second-highest ever ranking in school history. A&M is one of five Big 12 schools ranked among the top 25 including No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Baylor, No. 22/25 Texas and No. 25 Oklahoma State. League rival Texas Tech is also receiving votes in both polls.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL
1. Tennessee (6-0)
2. Connecticut (6-0)
3. Maryland (10-0)
4. Rutgers (4-1)
5. North Carolina (9-1)
6. Stanford (7-1)
7. Georgia (8-0)
8. LSU (6-2)
9. Oklahoma (4-2)
10. Baylor (6-0)
11. California (7-1)
12. Texas A&M (6-1)
13. West Virginia (7-1)
14. Auburn (8-0)
15. DePaul (6-0)
16. Notre Dame (6-1)
17. Duke (5-3)
18. Arizona State (4-3)
19. Ohio State (6-2)
20. Vanderbilt (7-2)
21. Wyoming (6-0)
22. Texas (6-2)
23. Michigan State (6-2)
24. Old Dominion (6-2)
25. Oklahoma State (7-0)
ESPN/USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25 POLL
1. Tennessee (6-0)
2. Connecticut (6-0)
3. Rutgers (5-1)
4. North Carolina (9-1)
5. Stanford (7-1)
6. Maryland (10-1)
7. LSU (6-2)
8. Georgia (8-0)
9. Oklahoma (4-2)
10. Baylor (6-0)
11. Texas A&M (6-1)
12. California (7-1)
13. West Virginia (7-1)
14. Auburn (8-0)
15. Duke (5-3)
16. DePaul (6-0)
17. Vanderbilt (7-2)
18. Ohio State (6-2)
19. Arizona State (4-3)
20. Notre Dame (6-1)
21. George Washington (6-3)
22. Wyoming (6-0)
23. Michigan State (6-2)
24. North Carolina State (8-1)
25. Texas (6-2)