No. 14 Aggies Seek First-Ever Big 12 Title Wednesday In Rivalry Rematch
Feb 27, 2007 | Women's Basketball
February 27, 2007
It would be fitting that the race for the Big 12 Conference Championship trophy would come down to the final game of the regular season as the No. 14-ranked Texas A&M women?™s basketball team (22-5, 12-3) seeks its first-ever conference title in school history. The Aggies host rival Texas (17-12, 6-9) in the final installment of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown between the two storied rivals on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in College Station. Aside from the hardware, state bragging rights and seeding for the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Women?™s Basketball Championship on March 6-8 & 10 in Oklahoma City will be on the line. With a 63-58 victory over Baylor on Sunday, A&M is in the driver?™s seat of controlling its own destiny. The Aggies are vying for sole possession or at least a share of the regular season title. They are currently tied with defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma with 12-3 marks in conference play. However, the Longhorns are the only Big 12 South opponent to elude the Aggies this season after suffering a 64-45 loss in Austin on Jan. 21. A&M has played its best basketball at home this season with an undefeated 15-0 record in the friendly confines of Reed Arena. They have won nine of their last 10 games including four key wins on the road. Texas is situated in a three-way tie for seventh with Texas Tech and Colorado. The Aggies should be a lock for the NCAA Tournament, while the upset-minded Longhorns are fighting to remain in the hunt for an at-large bid. The heated rivalry should bring about inspired play by both ball clubs who will meet for the 71st time in the longstanding series.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
For the sixth-time this season, the Aggies will showcase their talents before a nationally-televised audience with Bill Land (play-by-play) and WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars head coach Dan Hughes (color analyst) calling Wednesday?™s game live from Reed Arena on Fox Sports Net. Fans throughout the country can watch the game live on FSN Arizona, FSN Bay Area, FSN Detroit, FSN Midwest, FSN New England, FSN New York, FSN North (Wisconsin), FSN Northwest, FSN Rocky Mountain, FSN Southwest, FSN West and Sportsouth. Check your local listings. Not shy of the limelight, Texas A&M has been successful this season compiling a 5-1 record when playing on the tube. They are 3-1 when playing on FSN.
PACK REED ARENA FOR AGGIE BASKETBALL DOUBLEHEADER
Fans are encouraged to pack Reed Arena as the game between the Aggies and Longhorns will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net and will decide Texas A&M?™s quest for its first-ever Big 12 Conference title. The Texas A&M athletic department will host another Aggie Basketball doubleheader at Reed Arena as the No. 8-ranked Texas A&M men?™s basketball team takes on rival Texas in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown at 8 p.m. in Austin. The men?™s game will be shown immediately following the women?™s game on the 12th Man TV big screens at Reed Arena. Join the Aggies for this special opportunity to watch both nationally-ranked basketball programs battle for conference supremacy. Tickets for the women?™s game can be purchased in advance by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE or online at AggieAthletics.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Reed Arena Box Office and Kyle Field Ticket Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS
Texas has won three of its last 10 games of the season, but put together a solid 11-3 non-conference showing with a notable upset over No. 10-ranked Purdue with a 64-61 victory on Jan. 7. They recently snapped a five-game losing skid with a 59-47 win over Texas Tech on Feb. 24. The injury bug has taken a toll on the Longhorns who are in jeopardy of missing their second-straight NCAA Tournament. UT will look to make a strong run in the upcoming Big 12 Championship to keep its postseason dreams alive. Legendary Texas head coach Jody Conradt is still one shy of capturing her 900th career victory with recent losses to Oklahoma State, Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma. The Longhorns have only won twice on the road this season with league victories at Kansas State (61-34) on Feb. 3 and Missouri (79-77) in double overtime on Jan. 10. They gained two top 25 wins in conference play against A&M on Jan. 21 and OU (67-62) on Jan. 31. Senior combination forward/center Tiffany Jackson is averaging a team-leading 16.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2006-07 Stats)
#10 A?™Quonesia Franklin, G, 5-3, Jr. (9.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
#33 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, So. (14.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
#21 Morenike Atunrase, G/F, 5-10, Jr. (11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
#24 Patrice Reado, F, 6-0, Jr. (7.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
#12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, So. (6.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
TEXAS
No. Name (2006-07 Stats)
#3 Carla Cortijo, G, 5-7, RS-Fr. (7.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
#10 Brittainey Raven, G, 6-0, Fr. (7.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
#20 Erneisha Bailey, G, 5-9, Jr. (7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
#33 Tiffany Jackson, F/C, 6-3, Sr. (16.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg)
#00 Earnesia Williams, F, 6-1, RS-Fr. (9.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
INSIDE THE RIVALRY SERIES
Texas leads 58-12 in the all-time rivalry series against Texas A&M. The Longhorns have won 17 of 21 meetings between the two schools in Big 12 regular season play including a 64-45 victory in Austin on Jan. 21. The Aggies have only won three home contests in the series since the league?™s inception in 1996-97. They defeated the Longhorns (86-68) on Feb. 18, 1998, (70-65) on Feb. 2, 2002 and (79-67) on Feb. 22, 2006 in College Station. Last season, the Aggies swept the regular-season series versus rival Texas for the first time since 1995 as members of the Southwest Conference. The Aggies have posted a program-best 8-1 record against Big 12 South foes this season including sweeps of Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. They swept the Lady Raiders for the first time in league history with a convincing 67-51 win on Feb. 21 and swept Baylor for only the second time in the Big 12 era with a 63-58 victory on Feb. 25. A&M is the only league school to sweep defending Big 12 champion OU this season.
BREAKING DOWN THE SCENARIOS
An A&M win against Texas and an OU win over Baylor on Wednesday night would give the Aggies at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title with the Sooners. Both teams would finish out the season with a 13-3 record in league play. The Aggies would earn the No. 1 seed at next week?™s Big 12 Championship since they hold tiebreakers over three of the top five teams in the league. They defeated Nebraska at home and swept both OU and Baylor in the home-and-home series. A&M can win the title outright with a win over Texas and a Baylor win over OU. A Texas win and a Baylor win would pose a three-way tie for the regular season championship with a 12-4 mark shared by the Aggies, Sooners and Lady Bears. A&M would still earn the No. 1 seed followed by Baylor at No. 2 and OU at No. 3. A Texas win and an Oklahoma win would give OU a No. 1 seed, A&M a No. 2 seed and Baylor a No. 3 seed. For only the second time in league history, the winning team(s) will have won the regular season title with 13 victories or less. Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma all tied each other with 13-3 records during the 1999-00 season. OU has won the regular season title four times (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2006) and Baylor once (2005).
UNDEFEATED HOME COURT STREAK ON THE LINE
Texas A&M is one of 10 schools in the nation who remains undefeated at home this season along with Duke (14-0), George Washington (13-0), James Madison (12-0), Delaware (13-0), Louisville (17-0), Montana (13-0), Marist (12-0), Coppin State (9-0) and Belmont (13-0). The Aggies have the second-most wins among all undefeated schools with a 15-0 record at Reed Arena. A&M will look to close out its first undefeated home season in the 31-year history of the program against Texas. The Aggies went 14-1 in 1993-94, 7-1 in 1975-76 and 2-1 in 1974-75. They also compiled 11-2 records at home during the 1994-95 and 1978-79 seasons. Last season, A&M went 14-2 at their home venue.
GOING FOR WIN NO. 23
Texas A&M will be aiming for its 23rd victory of the season which would tie for the third-most wins in school history behind last year?™s 23-9 campaign (NCAA First Round) and a 23-8 season in 1993-94 (NCAA Sweet 16). A&M previously captured 20-win seasons in 1978-79 (26-18), 1974-75 (24-9), 1993-94 (23-8), 2005-06 (23-9), 1994-95 (21-9) and 1995-96 (20-12). No matter what happens in their final regular season game or in postseason play, mathematically the odds are in favor of the Aggies recording their fewest losses in a single season since 1993-94 (23-8).
SENIOR SWAN SONG
Senior reserve center Lenka Zimova (Partizanske, Slovakia), senior reserve guard Jennifer Wilks (Frankston, Texas) and student assistant coach Jamila Ganter (Texarkana, Texas) will be honored during Senior Day festivities prior to the State Farm Lone Star Showdown between the Aggies and Longhorns. Zimova?™s mother, Anna, will see her play for the first time in the U.S. on Senior Day. Zimova has played in 51 career games with three starts for the Aggies. Last season, she scored a career-high 13 points at rival Texas. Wilks is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 Second Team selection and played in 51 career games with two starts. She graduated in December and is currently attending graduate school at A&M. Meanwhile, Ganter played three seasons for the Aggies as back-up point guard in 79 career games. She compiled a 2.50 assist-to-turnover ratio as a junior. All three were members of last year?™s 23-9 NCAA Tournament squad, while Wilks and Ganter were members of the 2005 Postseason WNIT team.
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN HISTORY
The State Farm Lone Star Showdown series was created prior to the 2004-05 season to help bring more attention to the rivalry in sports beyond football at each institution. It encompasses all sports where both schools field a varsity team. The football game played between the two schools is the third longest-running rivalry in the nation and is the longest-running rivalry for both schools. A total of 19 points are up for grabs during the 2006-07 school year. Each women?™s basketball game in head-to-head competition is worth 1/2 point in the overall standings. A point system will track all 25 scheduled A&M-Texas contests this season. The Longhorns currently lead the Aggies, 5.5 points to 4.5 points. A&M picked up one point each in football, women?™s cross country, women?™s swimming and diving and women?™s indoor track. The Texas A&M men?™s basketball team picked up a half point with a 100-82 rout of the Longhorns on Feb. 5. UT previously won in 2005 (14.5 to 4.5) and 2006 (14 to 5).
THE SIXTH MAN
Tabbed as the best Sixth Man in the league by Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair, sophomore combination guard/forward Danielle Gant (Oklahoma City, Okla.) led the nationally-ranked Aggies to a 2-0 week with the program?™s first-ever sweep of Texas Tech in league history with a convincing 67-51 victory over the Lady Raiders on Feb. 21 in College Station and its second-ever sweep of No. 14 Baylor (63-58) on Feb. 25 in Waco. A&M captured its 12th victory in conference play for the first time in school history against the Lady Bears. Gant was a huge factor in both milestones for the Aggies. She came off the bench and averaged a team-leading 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.5 blocks and 2.0 steals against the Lady Raiders and Lady Bears combined. For the week, she shot an impressive 70 percent from the floor (14-of-20) and went a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. Her 22 points against Baylor marked her second career 20-point game. Gant is one of three A&M players averaging double figures in overall and conference games played this season. She is currently on an eight-game double-digit scoring streak and has reached double figures in nine of the team?™s last 10 outings. She is shooting a team-best 56.9 percent from the floor which ranks fourth-best in the Big 12. Gant has also registered six double-doubles this season, the most of any A&M player and the eighth-most among league players. Gant has come off the bench five times this season, including A&M?™s last two games, and scored in double figures. She leads the team in steals (57) which ranks second-best in the Big 12 through all games played. She is the team?™s second-leading rebounder averaging 7.2 boards per game and is six shy of recording 200 rebounds for the season.
THEY KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN AGGIE ?... OR LONGHORN
There will be plenty of Aggies and Longhorns on both benches who know how intense the rivalry can be between the two schools. Texas A&M associate head coach Vic Schaefer is one of six coaches in the Big 12 serving at their alma mater. Schaefer, an Austin native, is a member of the Class of 1984 and wears his Aggie Ring proud. He currently directs the Aggie defense that has held opponents to 53.5 points per game which ranks seventh nationally. On the other end of the sidelines, former Texas All-American standouts Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil (1985-89) and Travis Mays (1986-90) comprise head coach Jody Conradt?™s staff. Davis-Wrightsil, a six-time National Player of the Year and Women?™s Basketball Hall of Famer, is in her first year at UT, while Mays is in his third.
IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
The Aggies have never been in a closer position to be in the running for a conference title since 1994 when A&M (11-3) posted a second-place finish in the Southwest Conference behind league champion Texas Tech (12-2). The Aggies have never won a regular season conference title, but won their first-ever conference tournament title in 1996. A&M would outlast Texas Tech, 72-68, in the championship game in the final year of the SWC. Not since his days at Stephen F. Austin (1985-93) where he collected seven-straight conference championships has Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair been able to grasp the elusive conference title at Arkansas (1993-03) or A&M (2003-Present). Blair squads at both schools have never posted back-to-back seasons finishing among the top three in the conference. Last season, he led the Aggies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996 and program-best tied for third finish in the Big 12.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Takia Starks scored 14 but it wasn?™t enough as No. 17 Texas A&M suffered a 64-45 loss at No. 22 Texas on Jan. 21 in Austin. Texas?™ Tiffany Jackson scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Longhorns forced 23 turnovers to roll over the Aggies in the first installment of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown. Texas A&M and Texas met for the 70th all-time in the rivalry series. The Texas defense held the Aggies to their fewest points scored in a half this season with 18 first-half points. A&M committed a season-high 23 turnovers in the game. The Aggies shot a season-low 31.4 percent (16-of-51) from the floor versus the Longhorns. They also made the fewest field goals in a single game (16) this season. Sophomore Danielle Gant (Oklahoma City, Okla.) tied a season-high with 13 rebounds. She has grabbed double-digit boards on four occasions this season. Junior Patrice Reado scored 10 of her 12 points during the second half of play. She fouled out of the game for the fourth time this season and third time in league play. Texas became the only Big 12 team this season to outrebound the Aggies, 41-30. The 19-point margin of victory was the largest by an Aggie opponent this season. Starks and junior A?™Quonesia Franklin (Tyler, Texas) logged in 40 minutes against Texas. A&M?™s 45 total points for the game tied the fewest this season along with a 48-45 loss at Kansas State in its Big 12 opener on Jan. 6.
BAYLOR RECAP
Sophomore Danielle Gant scored 18 of her 22 points in the second half to lead No. 16 Texas A&M past No. 14 Baylor, 63-58, on Feb. 25 in Waco. Texas A&M won both games against Baylor this season for its second-ever sweep in Big 12 play. It can also clinch the title with an Oklahoma loss. Gant hit all seven of her shot attempts in the second half and combined with sophomore Takia Starks to score 32 of Texas A&M?™s 35 points after halftime. Bernice Mosby scored 24 points for Baylor. She scored 18 in the first half on 8-of-11 shooting, but she struggled to get open looks in the second half and missed five of six shots. The Lady Bears only had one field goal in the final 8:09. Baylor shot 20 percent (6-of-30) in the second half and missed all 12 three-pointers it attempted. The Lady Bears were the third A&M opponent this season to go without a three-pointer. The Aggies came into the game as the Big 12 leader in three-point field goal defense (27.6). Starks scored all 14 of her points in the second half. She didn?™t score until hitting a 15-foot jumper with 12:44 left. Starks hit a jumper with 5:40 left that gave the Aggies the lead for good at 55-54. Two possessions later, she nailed a 15-footer to put Texas A&M ahead by three points. Baylor got within 57-56 on Danielle Wilson?™s layup with 3:34 left. But Gant hit two consecutive short jumpers ?- the last of which put Texas A&M ahead 61-56 with 1:48 remaining. The Lady Bears then got a pair of free throws from Angela Tisdale and forced the Aggies into a shot clock violation. That gave Baylor a chance to tie the game in the final minute. But Starks stole a pass from Mosby and drove for an uncontested layup that gave Texas A&M a 63-58 lead with 30.5 seconds remaining. That capped a second half in which neither team led by more than five points. Baylor led 32-28 behind Mosby?™s 18 points. Texas A&M led 13-4 in the game?™s first five minutes thanks to early 10-0 flurry. But Mosby scored seven points a 15-2 run that put Baylor ahead 19-15 midway through the opening half.
AMONG THE NATION?™S BEST
Texas A&M continues to be among the national leaders in three NCAA statistical categories including scoring defense (7th, 53.5), three-point field goal percentage (13th, 37.7) and scoring margin (21st, 13.7) as of Feb. 26. Junior A?™Quonesia Franklin ranks 45th nationally in assists per game (4.8) and 30th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00). She ranks fifth in assists and tops in assist-to-turnover ratio in the Big 12.
THE CREME OF THE CROP
ESPN.com bracketologist Charlie Creme recently predicted Texas A&M to win the Big 12 regular season title and earn a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament field of 64. The Aggies are predicted to be seeded in the Dallas Regional. Creme stressed that winning a regular-season title gives weight in determining the seedings by the selection committee. Meanwhile, he projected seven Big 12 teams making the tournament including A&M, OU, Baylor, Nebraska, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas.
AGGIES IN THE RPI
The Aggies are currently No. 17 in the Jeff Sagarin/CBN Women?™s College Basketball Ratings as of Feb. 25. Eleven Big 12 schools are rated among the top 100 RPI teams in the nation including Baylor (12), Oklahoma (14), Texas A&M (22), Iowa State (27), Texas (31), Nebraska (33), Texas Tech (42), Missouri (44), Oklahoma State (54), Kansas State (71) and Colorado (91) according to CollegeRPI.com. The Big 12 is rated the second-toughest conference in the country behind the SEC. The Aggies have posted a 4-1 record against teams rated in the top 30 of the indexes. A&M has also played top 100 non-conference opponents in Washington (37), West Virginia (48) and Rice (97). In the latest RPI report released by the NCAA on Feb. 26, A&M is the third-highest rated team in the Big 12 at No. 20.
AROUND THE BIG 12
Texas A&M remains tied for first place with Oklahoma with a 12-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Aggies are one of three teams positioned to receive one of the top four seeds and first-round bye in the upcoming Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. Iowa State and Nebraska are both tied for fourth place with 9-6 marks in league competition. Oklahoma State is making a late season run and is one win away from its first 20-win season since 1997-98. Five teams have reached 20 victories this season and should hear their name come Selection Monday. The final regular season games will be played out on March 1 with Kansas at Missouri and Iowa State at Texas Tech. The Big 12 Championship bracket will be released thereafter.
1T. Oklahoma (22-4, 12-3)
1T. Texas A&M (22-5, 12-3)
3. Baylor (24-5, 11-4)
4T. Iowa State (21-7, 9-6)
4T. Nebraska (21-8, 9-6)
6. Oklahoma State 7-8 19-9
7T. Texas (17-12, 6-9)
7T. Texas Tech (15-14, 6-9)
7T. Colorado (12-15, 6-9)
10. Missouri (17-11, 5-10)
11. Kansas State (16-12, 4-11)
12. Kansas (9-19, 3-12)
AGGIES IN THE TOP 25
A&M climbed two spots to No. 14 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll released Monday and two spots to No. 16 in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released Tuesday. A&M has now appeared in both national polls a school-record 17-straight weeks since the preseason polls came out on Nov. 1 and 8. Meanwhile, the Aggies have been ranked in the AP Poll for a program-best 23-straight weeks since the 2005-06 season. The school record for consecutive weeks in the AP Poll was previously 12 which occurred during the 1994-95 campaign under former head coach Candi Harvey.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL
1. Duke (29-0)
2. Tennessee (27-2)
3. Connecticut (26-2)
4. North Carolina (27-3)
5. Ohio State (26-2)
6. Maryland (26-4)
7. Stanford (25-4)
8. George Washington (25-2)
9. Arizona State (26-3)
10. Georgia (24-5)
11. LSU (24-6)
12. Oklahoma (22-4)
13. Vanderbilt (24-5)
14. Texas A&M (22-5)
15. Purdue (25-5)
16. Baylor (24-5)
17. Middle Tennessee State (26-3)
18. Rutgers (19-7)
19. Bowling Green (25-3)
20. Louisville (24-5)
21. Wisconsin-Green Bay (23-3)
22. Michigan State (22-7)
23. Marquette (23-5)
24. North Carolina State (21-8)
25. California (22-7)
ESPN/USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25 POLL
1. Duke (29-0)
2. Tennessee (27-2)
3. Connecticut (26-2)
4. North Carolina (27-3)
5. Maryland (26-4)
6. Ohio State (26-2)
7. Arizona State (26-3)
8. Stanford (25-4)
9. George Washington (25-2)
10. LSU (24-6)
11. Oklahoma (22-4)
12. Georgia (24-5)
13. Vanderbilt (24-5)
14. Purdue (25-5)
15. Baylor (24-5)
16. Texas A&M (22-5)
17. Middle Tennessee State (26-3)
18. Bowling Green (25-3)
19. Marquette (23-5)
20. Wisconsin-Green Bay (23-3)
21. Rutgers (19-7)
21. Louisville (24-5)
23. Michigan State (22-7)
24. California (22-7)
25. North Carolina State (21-8)
AGGIES ON THE RADIO
All Texas A&M women?™s basketball games can be heard via a radio broadcast on the Texas A&M Sports Network. Tom Turbiville (play-by-play) and Tap Bentz (color analyst) will call the action live from Reed Arena on KZNE 1150 AM The Zone.
