Jan. 27, 2009
Texas Game Notes in PDF Format 
#11/7 TEXAS A&M (15-3, 3-2) vs. #16/17 TEXAS (14-4, 2-2)
Game #19
January 28, 2009 • 7:00 p.m. (CT)
The Frank Erwin Center (16,775)
at Austin, Texas
Television: Longhorn Sports Network (FSNSW)
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas Leads 58-15
Internet: Live Audio and Statistics available on www.AggieAthletics.com
GAME PREVIEW
A Texas-sized top 25 shootout is in store for both the No. 11/7-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (15-3, 3-2) and No. 16/17 Texas (14-4, 2-2) as state bragging rights will be on the line in a heated-rivalry matchup scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Tipoff for the first of two State Farm Lone Star Showdowns between the Aggies and Longhorns is set for 7 p.m. (CT) in the state capital. The winner will earn a half-point toward the Lone Star Showdown standings. A&M will face its fourth consecutive top 25 opponent in a span of 10 days and is coming off a 60-50 road victory at No. 24/25 Oklahoma State on Jan. 25. The Aggies have only won twice in Austin in 12 tries in Big 12 Conference regular-season play including two of the last three road trips in the series. A&M will have its hands full defending the perimeter as UT ranks sixth nationally with a 39.2 percent accuracy from behind the three-point arc, but the Aggie defense should be well equipped for the long ball as they are holding opponents to 23.0 percent shooting from downtown this season which ranks second best in the country.
ON THE AIR
The game will be televised regionally on the Longhorn Sports Network with play-by-play announcer Kevin Eschenfelder and color analyst Debbie Antonelli calling the action live from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The game will air throughout the state of Texas as well as Louisiana and Arkansas on Fox Sports Southwest (FSNSW) except for the Houston market (which includes the Bryan-College Station area) receiving the Houston Rockets game Wednesday night. For fans in the Houston area, the game will air on an alternate channel called FSN-PLUS. Aggie fans in the Bryan-College Station area can view the game if they are satellite subscribers to Dish Network (Channel 416) and DirecTV (Channel 676). Pay subscribers to the ESPN Full Court package on satellite cable will also receive the game. Fans who live in the Austin area can watch the game locally on Time Warner Cable (Channel 54).
EYEING TEXAS
With one of the most talented and tallest squads in the Big 12, the Texas women's basketball program has been revived under second-year head coach Gail Goestenkors. The Longhorns, who have been ranked all season long in the top 25 poll, were picked to finish second in the preseason coaches poll with one first-place vote. They are in the midst of a tough three-game stretch against three of the nation's top 10 teams. UT suffered a 89-69 loss at No. 3/2 Oklahoma on Jan. 25 and will take on No. 4/3 Baylor on Feb. 1 in Waco. Seven of the 11 Longhorn players on the active roster are over six-feet tall contributing to the team's current No. 7 national ranking in blocked shots per game (6.1). Senior point guard Carla Cortijo is one of four Big 12 point guards to rank among the top 10 nationally in assists averaging 6.1 per game for fourth-best in the league.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2008-09 Stats)
#51 Sydney Colson, G, 5-8, So. (5.4 ppg, 3.5 apg)
#3 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, Sr. (15.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
#22 Tanisha Smith, G/F, 6-0, Jr. (8.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
#55 Danielle Gant, G/F, 5-11, Sr. (14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
#12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, Sr. (3.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
TEXAS
No. Name (2008-09 Stats)
#3 Carla Cortijo, G, 5-7, Sr. (6.8 ppg, 6.1 apg)
#5 Kathleen Nash, G, 6-2, So. (13.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
#10 Brittainey Raven, G, 6-0, Jr. (13.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
#00 Earnesia Williams, F, 6-1, Sr. (6.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
#35 Ashley Lindsey, F, 6-4, Sr. (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
INSIDE THE RIVALRY SERIES
Texas holds a 58-15 advantage in the all-time series with Texas A&M. The Aggies have won the last three-straight meetings between the two rivals including five out of the last six with the Longhorns. A&M is 7-17 all-time versus UT in Big 12 regular-season play. Only four of A&M's 15 victories in the series have been won on the road in Austin. In its current three-game win streak, the Aggies have won by an average margin of 10.3 points a game including a 15-point win (65-50) on Feb. 24, 2008 in Austin and nine-point win (66-57) on Feb. 9, 2008.
AUSTIN FLASHBACK
Four players scored in double figures to lead No. 19 Texas A&M to a 15-point rout of rival Texas, 65-50, at the Frank Erwin Center on Feb. 24, 2008. Takia Starks scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the first half shooting 8-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-6 from three-point range to give the Aggies' their fourth-ever win in Austin and third-ever series sweep over the Longhorns. A&M sprinted out to an 18-4 run in the opening minutes of the contest behind long-range threes from Starks and Danielle Gant each had 12. For the game, A&M shot 48.0 percent (24-of-50) from the field and led by as many as 19 points with 10:37 remaining in regulation. Raven led all UT scorers with 13.
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN STANDINGS
Last season, Texas A&M laid claim to its first State Farm Lone Star Showdown trophy in the four-year history of the sponsored-rivalry series. The women's basketball team swept UT to earn a full point toward the final point count in 2007-08. A&M won the overall campaign by a score of 10.5 to 8.5 with contributions from soccer, men's and women's track and field, football, men's and women's basketball, softball, women's swimming and diving and women's golf. The Longhorns currently lead 5.0 to 1.5 in the latest Showdown standings with A&M's points earned by soccer (0.5) and men's cross country (1.0). For complete results, log onto: www.lonestarshowdown.net.
HEART OF STEAL
A&M currently ranks No. 8 in the country averaging a league-leading 12.5 steals per game led by senior All-America candidate Takia Starks averaging 1.8 for eighth.
EVERYBODY'S WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADER
A&M fans will have a chance to catch both the men's and women's basketball teams in action with a weekend doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31 at Reed Arena. The A&M men will take on Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. followed by the Aggie women against Kansas at 4 p.m. Father-daughter groups from around the area have been invited to enjoy the women's game as part of the program's first-ever Father-Daughter Day at Reed Arena. Coach Blair's Kids Court will continue to be held in the new women's basketball practice gym located in the Cox-McFerrin Center For Aggie Basketball one hour prior to tipoff with the Jayhawks.
AGGIE SIDEBARS
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 5-7 lifetime versus Texas in his 24 years as a Division I head coach. All five of his career wins against the Longhorns have occurred during his time in Aggieland.
• The Aggies currently rank among the top 15 in the nation in five NCAA statistical categories aside from steals including No. 2 in three-point field goal percentage defense (.230), No. 9 in turnover margin (6.1), No. 11 in field-goal percentage defense (34.4) and No. 12 in scoring defense (53.2). The A&M defense has held five opponents this season to under 30 percent shooting from the floor including No. 23 Pittsburgh (.255), Arizona (.245), Stephen F. Austin (.255), Texas State (.250) and No. 24 Oklahoma State (.229).
• A&M will go up against four-straight top 25 opponents for the first time since the month of February during Coach Blair's inaugural campaign with the Aggies in 2003-04. A&M went 0-4 in that particular stretch with losses to No. 24 Oklahoma, No. 1 Texas, No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 8 Kansas State.
OKLAHOMA STATE RECAP
Texas A&M 60, Oklahoma State 50
• For the first time this season, Texas A&M used the starting five of Takia Starks, Tanisha Smith, Tanisha Smith made her seventh.
• The Aggies picked up their 16th all-time victory in the 36-game series including the last three versus the Cowgirls. The last six games in the A&M and OSU series have been decided by 10 points or less. The Aggies have now won five-straight road games at Stillwater since 2005.
• Danielle Gant reached double figures against Oklahoma State for the third time in the last three-straight meetings between the two schools on the road in Stillwater. She previously scored 18 points in 2008 and 14 points in 2007. Her game-high 22 points marked her 15th career 20-point game. She added a game-high tying 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season and 16th of her career.
• Takia Starks registered her fifth-straight game in double figures with 15 points versus OSU.
• For the second consecutive game, Smith opened up with all of A&M's first five points of the ballgame against OSU. She previously had six of the team's first eight points versus No. 4 Baylor on Jan. 21.
• With 12 rebounds against OSU, La Toya Micheaux moved into the top 5 all-time in career rebounds (717). She surpassed former player Michell Tatum who brought down 710 boards from 1981-85. Micheaux turned in her fourth game of the season with double-digit boards. A&M won the battle of the boards, 49-37, and has outrebounded a total of 12 opponents this season for an 11-1 record when doing so.
• Redshirt freshman Tyra White came off the bench and contributed a league career-high six points versus the Cowgirls.
• The A&M defense forced the Cowgirls to shoot a season-low 22.9 percent (11-of-48) from the floor aside from its previous season-low of 33.3 percent from the field at No. 5 Duke on Nov. 14.
AGGIE NOTABLE QUOTABLES
"We just had three games in seven days and this will make four in 10 days against all top 25 teams. It is what it is. We can't do anything about the schedule. We've also faced five-straight Big 12 South opponents. I look at it as an opportunity for our program. If you are going to make a statement on who you are - play the best teams. We tend to play better against the best teams in the league. We just came off a very good ballgame against Baylor and we played very good defense against Oklahoma State. We had great shots against OSU. We were on the road, we made 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch and we held them to no field goals in nine minutes and 36 seconds of the second half. I am going to use that as a positive, instead of our 33 percent shooting from the field. I get up for these games." - Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair on another top 25 matchup with Texas
"Texas is one of the three most talented teams in our conference. It is up to us to make sure that talent doesn't come out. It's her (Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors) job to make sure that her talent comes out and they execute. Our job is to make them have to guard us and do the little things right on defense. We have won two out of the last three times down at Texas. We have done it, because of defense first and offense second. That's what we have to do, but we really respect Texas' talent on the floor. When they play well like they did against Tennessee, they are a top 10 team." - Coach Blair on Texas
"Kathleen Nash is the big key. You have to limit her touches like OU did (on Sunday). She only had eight points in the last couple of minutes of the game. Texas is one of the taller teams in the league and we can have some problems there. What we have to do is make sure they do not penetrate and kick. Carla (Cortijo) has really improved as a point guard. She and Maria Moore at Texas Tech are very similar. They are penetrate kickers. Carla understands the offense a little bit better and she has lived up to her billing as a member of the No. 1 recruiting class they signed four or five years ago. She is one of the better point guards in our league." - Coach Blair on limiting Texas' three-point range and guard play
"It's not just another nationally-ranked team, it is Texas, whether either one of us is ranked or not. As an Aggie or a Longhorn, you have an obligation to give it your best shot. Our players look forward to it. The rankings do not mean a thing when these two teams play. We look at it as an opportunity. They have two losses in conference play, we have two losses in conference play. With Baylor and Oklahoma both undefeated, they are going to decide who is No. 1 on Wednesday night, but you want to make sure you are only two games back from them. That's the most important thing. We have two road wins out of three which is pretty good." - Coach Blair on the rivalry more importantly than the national rankings
"We just have to go out there and play good defense against them. We have won five out of the last six games and won both games last year. Texas is a really good team. We have to execute and have a good defensive game like we did at Oklahoma State and not let their shooters get loose. We want to keep our momentum going to be able to remain in contention for a Big 12 Conference title at the end of the year." - Sophomore point guard Sydney Colson on Texas
ON THE NATIONAL FRONT
After a 1-1 week against a pair of top 25 opponents in No. 4 Baylor and No. 24 Oklahoma State, the Aggies dropped two spots to No. 11 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on Monday and remained at No. 7 in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. Seven of A&M's 2008-09 opponents are currently ranked among the nation's best including No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 4/3 Baylor, No. 14/12 Kansas State, No. 16/17 Texas, No. 18/20 Florida State, No. 21/24 Pittsburgh and No. 22/23 Iowa State. The Aggies have gone 4-2 this season against the top 25.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL
1. Connecticut (19-0)
2. Oklahoma (16-2)
3. Duke (17-1)
4. Baylor (17-1)
5. Auburn (20-0)
6. Louisville (19-1)
7. California (16-2)
8. Maryland (16-3)
9. Stanford (15-4)
10. North Carolina (17-3)
11. Texas A&M (15-3)
12. Florida (18-2)
13. Tennessee (15-4)
14. Kansas State (17-1)
15. Ohio State (16-3)
16. Texas (14-4)
17. Notre Dame (15-3)
18. Florida State (17-4)
19. Virginia (15-4)
20. Vanderbilt (15-5)
21. Pittsburgh (14-4)
22. Iowa State (15-4)
23. Xavier (17-4)
24. South Dakota State (19-2)
25. DePaul (15-5)
USA TODAY/ESPN COACHES TOP 25 POLL
1. Connecticut (20-0)
2. Oklahoma (16-2)
3. Baylor (17-1)
4. Auburn (20-0)
5. California (16-2)
6. Duke (17-1)
7. Texas A&M (15-3)
8. Stanford (15-4)
9. Maryland (16-3)
10. North Carolina (17-3)
11. Louisville (19-2)
12. Kansas State (17-1)
13. Notre Dame (15-3)
14. Ohio State (16-3)
15. Tennessee (15-4)
16. Florida (18-2)
17. Texas (14-4)
18. Virginia (16-4)
19. South Dakota State (19-2)
20. Florida State (17-4)
21. Xavier (17-4)
22. Vanderbilt (15-5)
23. Iowa State (15-4)
24. Pittsburgh (14-4)
25. DePaul (15-5)
A LOOK AT THE BIG 12
Baylor and Oklahoma remain an undefeated 5-0 in conference play and will battle for sole possession of first place in Waco on Jan. 28. Kansas State is third with a 4-1 mark, while A&M is tied for fourth with Iowa State at 3-2. Texas rounds out the top half of the league standings at 2-2 on the season followed by Texas Tech in seventh at 2-3 and Oklahoma State eighth at 1-3. Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado are in a four-way tie for ninth with 1-4 records.
1T. Baylor (17-1, 5-0)
1T. Oklahoma (16-2, 5-0)
3. Kansas State (17-1, 4-1)
4T. Texas A&M (15-3, 3-2)
4T. Iowa State (15-4, 3-2)
6. Texas (14-4, 2-2)
7. Texas Tech (11-7, 2-3)
8. Oklahoma State (12-5, 1-3)
9T. Kansas (12-6, 1-4)
9T. Missouri (10-8, 1-4)
9T. Nebraska (10-8, 1-4)
9T. Colorado (9-8, 1-4)
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. Play-by-play announcer Mike Wright will call the action live from the Frank Erwin Center alongside color analyst and former player Katy Pounds on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on www.AggieAthletics.com.