Texas A&M
14-1, 2-0
Texas Tech
10-5, 1-1
No. 6 Aggies Defeat Texas Tech For First-Ever 2-0 Big 12 Start
Jan 13, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2009
Texas Tech Box Score in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Four players scored in double figures as No. 6 Texas A&M defeated Texas Tech, 67-56, for its first-ever 2-0 start in Big 12 Conference play Tuesday night before a crowd of 3,860 at Reed Arena.
Senior All-America candidate Takia Starks (Houston, Texas) registered her third consecutive 20-point outburst against the Lady Raiders (10-5, 1-1) with a game-high 21 points for the Aggies (14-1, 2-0). Meanwhile, senior All-America Danielle Gant (Oklahoma City, Okla.) turned in her third double-double of the season with 10 rebounds and 18 points, 16 of which were scored in the second half of play. Gant, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, scored 12 of her total points in the last five-minute stretch of the game versus Tech.
Sophomore Sydney Colson (Houston, Texas) added a league personal-best 11 points, while freshman Adaora Elonu (Houston, Texas) had 10 to send the Aggies' off to their best start in the 13-year history of the Big 12.
A&M snapped Texas Tech's five-game win streak leading into the game despite an 18-point effort by top player Dominic Seals and 11 points each from Maria Moore and Kierra Mallard. The Lady Raiders opened up the game on a 12-5 run, which was quickly challenged by the Aggies under the seven-minute mark of the first half. Starks picked up the team's first lead of the game on a layup, 23-22, at 6:55 which jump started a 15-0 run by the Aggies via a layup by junior Tanisha Smith (Kansas City, Mo.) and a three-pointer by freshman Sydney Carter (DeSoto, Texas).
The Aggies led 35-28 at halftime, but once again Tech cut it to three with a quick 8-2 run courtesy of Seals to open up the second half. Both teams shot a meager 35 percent or less from the floor and couldn't find a basket. The Lady Raiders got within two, 53-51, on a three-pointer by Ashlee Roberson at the 5:12 minute mark, but Gant got hot and rattled off eight-straight points to put the Aggies ahead for good.
A&M travels to No. 3 Oklahoma (12-2, 1-0) for a much-anticipated top 10 showdown on Sunday, Jan. 18 in Norman, Okla. The game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net beginning at 3 p.m. (CT).
POSTGAME NOTES
• For the ninth time this year, Texas A&M used the starting five of Takia Starks, Danielle Gant, La Toya Micheaux (8-1).
• With the victory, A&M picks up its 14th all-time victory in the Texas Tech series. The Aggies have won the last six-straight meetings between the two Big 12 South rivals dating back to a 65-48 win on Feb. 5, 2006 in College Station.
• For the first time in school history, A&M opens up the Big 12 Conference season at 2-0 since the league's inception in 1996-97.
• Takia Starks has now scored 20-points or more in three consecutive outings with the Lady Raiders including a career-high 29 vs. Tech on Feb. 17, 2008 in College Station and 22 on Feb. 2, 2008 in Lubbock. It marked her 22nd career 20-point game. She also turned in her best shooting percentage of the season from the floor going 8-of-13 (.615) versus Tech.
• Danielle Gant moved into third all-time in career rebounds (791) on her second rebound in the opening minutes of the game against Tech. She surpassed former player Susan Kimbro who compiled 782 from 1977-80. Gant turned in her third double-double of the season and 15th of her career with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She is also a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe over the last three games including 2-for-2 at Florida State on Jan. 5, 2-for-2 at Missouri on Jan. 10 and a career-best 8-for-8 versus the Lady Raiders.
• Sydney Colson scored a career-high 11 points in a Big 12 game versus Tech. Her previous league-high was eight points versus Iowa State on Feb. 20, 2008 during her rookie campaign.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
On the game ...
"This was a typical Big 12 game tonight. A lot of blocked shots and a lot of high intensity with coaches having to make adjustments in the ballgame. Give Texas Tech credit for taking the ball to the basket very well. I thought when we went into our zone that gave them problems. They didn't have the outside game to go with their inside game. Their inside game was very good. We did a pretty good job of limiting (Dominic) Seals' touches. That's how good she is. She shot 8 out of 9 and she is a very good player. That's the Big 12. You just saw the two best young post players in (Adaora) Elonu and (Kierra) Mallard at Texas Tech. Both of those two kids balance things out. I felt good at halftime, except for a couple of baskets we gave up, because we were shooting a good percentage. We corrected our problems."
On Starks ...
"Takia Starks was very good tonight. They were playing a diamond and chaser in the first half or a box and one zone. We did a pretty good job on them. T-Kay was still getting open and was hitting some tough shots."
On the program's first-ever 2-0 start to the Big 12 season in the history of the league ...
"This is the first time that we have ever been 2-0. I am not sure if I was ever 2-0 in the SEC. This conference is just so tough. Anytime you shoot over 40 percent, you are going to have a chance to win. That's how good the defense is on all 12 teams in this league. All we've done is hold serve against the teams on paper that we are supposed to beat, but playing this team is a lot harder. Think about how much better Texas Tech is than last year. They are a better basketball team and they have a legitimate chance of getting to the NCAA Tournament. I just hope we can get there with them."
Texas A&M Senior Guard Takia Starks
On her first half of play ...
"I just tried to attack the basket and basically go by the creed if I drive in, I will get the foul or the basket. I tried to do that early instead of taking jump shots and put pressure on the defense."
On Danielle Gant stretch to put the game away ...
"That has been Danielle's M.O. for the last two games. She just takes over and does everything that we need. She gets the easy two's and that's her game. We look forward to her stepping up and getting the fouls. When she is in the paint that is probably a 100 percent shot."
On what the team struggled with and how the team got back on track in the second half ...
"We were trying to do different offenses to see what was kind of working. Eventually, we caught on and stayed with what was working. We were just trying to score with different options."
Texas A&M Senior Guard/Forward Danielle Gant
On the difference in her game in the second half ...
"It was just me. I didn't take my time at all tonight. Coach (Blair) told me to take my time in the second half. I felt myself rushing a lot of my shots in the first half. Most of the time I was wide open. I just took my time in the second half. As a senior, I knew I had to help my team, because the game was close. I had to step up as a senior, take over the game and help out T-Kay (Starks) a little bit in the scoring."
Texas Tech Head Coach Kristy Curry
On the difference in the second half game ...
"Probably more than anything, it was what Tech didn't do. It was what Tech did to Tech. We had some poor possessions there and we missed some wide-open looks down the stretch. You have to give A&M all of the credit in the world. They are a legitimate top 10 team for a reason and had a few more plays down the stretch."
On controlling Takia Starks early and late ...
"The biggest thing is that we didn't control (Takia) Starks early. I really didn't think much of the job we did on (Danielle) Gant. We didn't do a very good job on Starks. They are as good as anyone in the country. Danielle is the best under-sized post in the country and Starks is probably, if not, the top shooter in the country. You have two legitimate All-Americans and All-Americans are going to make plays down the stretch."
Texas Tech Senior Forward Dominic Seals
On her ankle injury in the second half of play ...
"I got tangled up with someone and I fell. I knew I twisted my ankle and it hurt. I knew in the end, I had to get back out there and sacrifice myself for my team. I am going to be fine."
Texas Tech Senior Guard Maria Moore
On what worked well against Texas A&M ...
"We just kept on going to the basket. We kept on taking it inside which was working for us. We just needed to finish better."
