Feb. 22, 2009
Oklahoma Game Notes in PDF Format 
#14/11 TEXAS A&M (20-5, 8-4) vs. #2/2 OKLAHOMA (24-2, 12-0)
Game #26
February 23, 2009 • 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989)
at College Station, Texas
Television: ESPN2 and ESPN360.com
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Oklahoma Leads 25-11
Internet: Live Audio and Statistics available on www.AggieAthletics.com
GAME PREVIEW
It will be a battle of "bigs" as the No. 11-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (20-5, 8-4) prepares for a Big Monday showdown and a top 25 rematch with second-ranked Oklahoma (24-2, 12-0) on Feb. 23 at Reed Arena. The Aggies and Sooners will tipoff at 6:30 p.m. (CT) in a first-ever Monday showcase between two Big 12 Conference powers on ESPN2. A&M has beaten its last four-straight league opponents on its home court in fine fashion and claimed its fourth-ever series sweep of archrival Texas in a 76-65 win on Saturday. The Aggie defense forced the 12th-ranked Longhorns to commit an opponent season-high 29 turnovers which is not at all a surprise as they annually rank among the top 15 teams nationally in scoring defense (54.3), field goal percentage defense (35.4), three-point field goal percentage defense (25.0) and turnover margin (+6.3). A&M will look to defend an OU squad that is shooting with a 49.1 percent accuracy from the floor and scoring an average of 79.0 points per game against opponents this season, numbers that rank among the top five in the country. The Aggies are currently in a tie with Kansas State for third-place in the latest Big 12 standings, while OU could clinch at least a share of its sixth league championship title with a win on Monday. Both teams will endure a quick turnaround with their second game in three days versus a nationally-ranked opponent in what could shape out to be one of the biggest weekends ever in Aggie Basketball history.
DOLLAR DAY PROMOTION
A&M will host Dollar Day versus Oklahoma at Reed Arena with concession items such as hot dogs, soft drinks and popcorn priced at $1 while supplies last. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game. Dollar Day tickets must be purchased in person at the Kyle Field Ticket Office or Reed Arena Box Office in advance of the game or on game day. Both ticket offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased at all Aggie sporting events leading up to Monday's game including A&M baseball at Olsen Field. Dollar tickets will not be available by phone or online. Tickets purchased online or by phone will remain at regular price ranging from $11 (courtside), $9 (mezzanine), $7 (gallery) and $5 (general admission).
ON THE DEUCE
Texas A&M makes its second appearance on ESPN2 this season including a 56-50 victory over No. 23 Pittsburgh in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 16 in Baton Rouge, La. The Aggies welcome yet another A-team television crew in the course of three days to College Station with veteran announcer Pam Ward (play-by-play), former 1999 Purdue national championship head coach Carolyn Peck (color analyst) and former UConn All-American and WNBA star Rebecca Lobo (sideline) calling the action live from Reed Arena on Monday. A&M will play before an ESPN2 national audience for only the 11th time in program history and are 7-3 all-time on the deuce.
OKLAHOMA AT A GLANCE
Oklahoma continues on its quest for its second all-time perfect season through Big 12 Conference play to match its league-record 16-0 mark in 2006. The Sooners have strung together a school-record 20-straight wins over the course of three months and have not lost since a 106-78 rout at No. 1 Connecticut on Nov. 30 in Storrs, Conn. OU's only other loss of the season was an 80-79 setback that went down-to-the-wire with No. 3 North Carolina on Nov. 23 in Norman. The Sooners are led by the inside presence of twin sisters, Courtney Paris and Ashley Paris, who look to close out their senior campaign with more added hardware to OU's trophy case. Courtney is currently averaging a team-leading 13.9 rebounds per game which leads the Big 12 and the nation.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2008-09 Stats)
#51 Sydney Colson, G, 5-8, So. (6.0 ppg, 3.2 apg)
#3 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, Sr. (16.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
#22 Tanisha Smith, G/F, 6-0, Jr. (8.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
#55 Danielle Gant, G/F, 5-11, Sr. (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
#12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, Sr. (2.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
OKLAHOMA
No. Name 2008-09 Stats
#13 Danielle Robinson, G, 5-9, So. (12.9 ppg, 6.1 apg)
#25 Whitney Hand, G, 6-1, Fr. (9.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
#21 Amanda Thompson, F, 6-0, Jr. (7.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
#5 Ashley Paris, F, 6-3, Sr. (13.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg)
#3 Courtney Paris, C, 6-4, Sr. (16.0 ppg, 13.9 rpg)
SERIES NOTES
Oklahoma holds a 25-11 series advantage over Texas A&M and picked up its second win (W, 71-59) in the last five games between the two Big 12 South rivals on Jan. 18 in Norman. The Aggies have won their last two-straight home meetings in double digits against the Sooners in that particular five-game span - 78-68 (+10) on Feb. 10, 2007 and 73-59 (+14) on March 6, 2008 in College Station. Eight of A&M's 11 overall victories in the all-time series have been won on its home court.
LAST FIVE GAMES IN SERIES
W, 54-52 on Jan. 27, 2007 in Norman
W, 78-68 on Feb. 10, 2007 in College Station
L, 56-68 on Feb. 12, 2008 in Norman
W, 73-59 on March 6, 2008 in College Station
L, 59-71 on Jan. 18, 2009 in Norman
OKLAHOMA REWIND
No. 6 Texas A&M fell to No. 3 Oklahoma, 71-59, on Jan. 18 at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. Takia Starks scored all of her team-high 19 points in the second half, while Danielle Gant added 18 including 10 on 5-of-7 shooting in a low-scoring first half for the Aggies. Danielle Robinson led the way for the Sooners with 19 points and 10 assists and was one of three OU players to turn in double-doubles. Whitney Hand knocked down a career-high five three-pointers in six attempts and scored 17 points, while Courtney Paris had 11 points and 14 rebounds to extend her NCAA-record streak of consecutive double-doubles, but did not reach double digits in points until 1:01 remained. Her twin sister, Ashley Paris, had 16 points and 10 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season. About the only negative for the Sooners was 22 turnovers which prevented a lopsided score from being even more so. Oklahoma shot 47 percent from the field and outrebounding the Aggies 43-27. A&M shot 39 percent from the field and had 17 turnovers. The Aggies cut a 19-point deficit early in the second half to 12 points at 41-29 on a three-point play by Starks with 15:58 left. Hand started a 14-0 Oklahoma run with a put-back, followed by a three-pointer, and another three-pointer by Carlee Roethlisberger gave the Sooners a 55-29 lead with 11:54 left. A&M rallied within 60-51 on another three-point play by Starks with 3:23 left, but after that, Robinson went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line and assisted on two baskets by Courtney Paris to keep the Sooners comfortably ahead for good.
MORE ON NO. 2
The Aggies have never hosted the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the land in College Station. In fact, they have never faced a No. 2-ranked opponent in the 35-year history of the program until now. A&M last hosted a team ranked No. 3 or higher in Aggieland in a 64-50 loss to third-ranked Baylor on Jan. 5, 2005. The Aggies have played two No. 1's all-time in Tennessee and Texas, but both contests were on the road or at a neutral tournament site. The highest-ever ranked OU team to play at Reed Arena was Sooner head coach Sherri Coale's fourth-ranked squad (L, 40-72) on Jan. 26, 2002. Historically, A&M's two biggest upsets over a top 5 opponent at home include a 67-64 victory over No. 4 Texas Tech on Feb. 5, 1994 at G. Rollie White Coliseum and an 88-71 stunner against No. 5 Iowa State on Jan. 12, 2002 at Reed Arena.
CLASSY LADIES
Both the Aggies and Sooners boast two of the nation's top 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in Texas A&M's Takia Starks and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris. The award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition. Starks is currently on track to graduate in May with a degree in leadership and is one of the top two-guards in the nation. Current Oklahoma graduate assistant and former Big 12 Player of the Year and Kansas State All-American Kendra Wecker was the national recipient of the Senior CLASS Award in 2005.
BIG 12 TALENT SHOW
When you are at the top, you are at the top, and for good reason. The Texas A&M and Oklahoma rosters boast a wealth of talent with national player of the year and All-America candidates as well as rising stars in the making. When the Big 12 awards were announced in October, A&M and OU hit the jackpot. Preseason All-Big 12 selections Takia Starks and Courtney Paris were among the Aggie and Sooner award winners along with preseason honorable mention Tanisha Smith, a junior college All-American for the Aggies, was tabbed Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while A&M's Tyra White and OU's Whitney Hand shared Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
AGGIE SIDEBARS
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 5-11 lifetime versus Oklahoma in his 24 years as a Division I head coach. Three of his five career victories against the Sooners include the Aggies' first-ever series sweep of OU in 2006-07 and a 73-59 Senior Day victory a year ago on March 6, 2008 in College Station.
• The Aggies have four remaining tests leading up to the regular-season finale which includes the likes of No. 14 Kansas State on March 1 in Manhattan, Kan., Oklahoma State on March 5 in College Station and No. 5 Baylor on March 7 in Waco, Texas. This weekend's one-day turnaround between games will mark the first of two in their last five-game stretch.
• A&M will once again wear its specially-designed pink adidas uniforms in honor of former North Carolina State head coach Kay Yow and the fight against breast cancer. A ceremonial tip with a pink ball will take place prior to the start of regulation between A&M senior center La Toya Micheaux and OU senior center Courtney Paris.
TEXAS RECAP
Texas A&M 76, Texas 65
• For the eighth time this season, Texas A&M used the starting five of Takia Starks, Tanisha Smith, Danielle Gant and La Toya Micheaux (6-2).
• With the victory, A&M has now won the last five-straight meetings in the all-time series with rival Texas. The Aggies also swept the Longhorns for only the fourth time in school history next to the 1994-95, 2005-06 and 2007-08 seasons.
• A&M turned in its fourth-straight 20-win season under head coach Gary Blair and ninth overall in school history.
• Starks, Gant and Micheaux became the first senior class in program history to post an undefeated 4-0 record at home against the Longhorns. The 2009 Senior Class only lost once in the home-and-home series with UT during their four-year careers - a 64-45 setback on Jan. 21, 2007 in Austin.
• The Aggies had five players score in double figures for the first time since having six players in double-digits in a 94-45 rout of Texas State on Dec. 13.
• Takia Starks continues on her current 12-game double-digit scoring streak through Big 12 Conference play with a game-high 18 points against the Longhorns.
• Danielle Gant has now reached double figures in the last three ballgames against league opponents. She collided with Texas' Ashleigh Fontenette for a loose ball at the 13:41 minute mark of the second half and did not return to the game. She turned in her 17th career double-double and fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
• Freshman Adaora Elonu tied her league career-high with 10 points against the Longhorns. She previously scored 10 against Texas Tech on Jan. 13 in College Station.
• The A&M defense forced rival Texas to a season-high 29 turnovers to tie an opponent season-high of 29 by Mercer on Nov. 14, Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 2 and George Washington on Jan. 3.
AGGIE NOTABLE QUOTABLES
"This is what you do in preparation for the NCAAs. If we're going to be a tournament team, you have to learn to play through fatigue and you have to learn to play through your coaches heading straight to the film room and looking at the next game. We won't be able to enjoy it (Saturday's win over Texas). We'll make our corrections. I'll tell my assistants to go out and have a meal with their families and then get back into the office. That's what we have to do. We are going to face it again when we have Oklahoma State and Baylor (in a three-day span next week). You could play four games in a row when you get to the Big 12 Tournament and you know you are always going to play back-to-back games in the NCAA Tournament. When you have depth and coachable kids, you can do it. It isn't so great for the coaching staff, but our kids respond pretty well to it." - Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair on the quick turnaround between the Texas and Oklahoma games
"This is going to be very special. To have two national television games in a row - we've been looking forward to this weekend all year long. I told our players that we earned these two games by what we did last year, and I asked the team, `what have we done this year to deserve that national platform?' Every Monday night, the players and myself watch all of the Big Monday games. This is the first time that the Big 12 has had two teams playing on Big Monday. Hopefully, we'll give them a good show." - Coach Blair on the team's first-ever Big Monday appearance
"It was huge. I think we have to go 4-1 to get that fourth spot. You know that Iowa State is going to be in there due to their schedule and due to their good play. We have a huge game at Kansas State next weekend. Right now, there are four teams that are fighting their hearts out to get those spots. Then you have Texas Tech and Oklahoma State just trying to get to 7-9 like Texas and Iowa State did last year to get into the tournament. We deserve eight teams in the NCAA Tournament. But, there is a lot of ball to be played and you better protect your home court." - Coach Blair on how big Saturday's win was against Texas in regard to the Big 12 Conference race
"Oklahoma is a lot better than when the Paris sisters were freshmen and OU went 16-0. The biggest difference is that the league is so much stronger this year and they are still doing it. They still have some bumps in the road and have a few places to go after Monday with Texas on the road and Oklahoma State and Texas Tech at home. If Texas Tech can come close (with an 80-72 loss on Feb. 17 in Lubbock), then why can't the rest of us?" - Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair on the difference between Oklahoma's undefeated 16-0 squad in 2006 to the present
AROUND THE BIG 12
Texas A&M is one of four Big 12 teams with 20-or-more wins this season and still mathematically in the hunt for a share of this year's league regular-season title as well as one of four top seeds in the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship on March 12-15 in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma holds a three-game advantage in the league race at 12-0, while Baylor is second at 9-3 and A&M and Kansas State tied for third at 8-4. Iowa State (7-4) and Texas (7-5) round out the top half of the latest standings.
1. Oklahoma (24-2, 12-0)
2. Baylor (21-4, 9-3)
3T. Texas A&M (20-5, 8-4)
3T. Kansas State (21-4, 8-4)
5. Iowa State (19-6, 7-4)
6. Texas (19-7, 7-5)
7. Texas Tech (15-11, 5-7)
8. Oklahoma State (15-10, 4-8)
9T. Missouri (12-13, 3-9)
9T. Nebraska (12-13, 3-9)
9T. Colorado (11-13, 3-9)
10. Kansas (13-11, 2-9)
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 Reed Arena alongside color analyst Tap Bentz on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on www.AggieAthletics.com.