Texas A&M
Oklahoma City
No. 16 Aggies Down OCU In Exhibition Tuneup, 84-52
Nov 12, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Four players scored in double figures including a double-double by preseason Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year Danielle Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) to lead the No. 16-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team to an 84-52 victory over NAIA Division I power Oklahoma City University in exhibition play held Thursday night before a crowd of 2,635 at Reed Arena.
Adams posted a game and team-high tying 16 points and 10 rebounds in her unofficial Aggie debut. The former National Junior College Player of the Year was joined in double digits by preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Tanisha Smith (Kansas City, Mo.) who also added 16.
The Aggies rushed out to a 13-1 lead in the first six minutes of regulation behind a game-opening basket by redshirt sophomore Tyra White (Kansas City, Mo.) and a steal and coast-to-coast layup by junior point guard Sydney Colson (Houston, Texas).
A&M never let up on its signature defense against OCU, ranked eighth nationally in the NAIA preseason poll, which led to 26 first-half turnovers and a 26.3 percent shooting percentage (5-of-19) by the Stars.
The Aggies went into the lockerroom with a 45-18 halftime lead. Donica Cosby, a junior transfer from Arkansas, paced OCU with 16 points. A&M led by as many as 35 points in the ballgame.
White and sophomore Adaora Elonu (Houston, Texas) contributed 13 and 15 points respectively, while all 16 players on the A&M roster saw action including a late second-half layup by junior walk-on Catherine Snow (Temple, Texas).
A&M used the exhibition as a tune-up to its 2009-10 season home opener versus sixth-ranked Duke slated for Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. (CT) at Reed Arena. The Aggies previously beat the Blue Devils in both school's last meeting in the semifinals of the Oklahoma City Regional which led to the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2008. It will mark the first A&M home opener against a top 10 opponent since the start of the 1997-98 season versus No. 10 Vanderbilt under former head coach Candi Harvey.
Tickets are priced at $11 (courtside), $9 (mezzanine), $7 (gallery) and $5 (general admission) and can be purchased online at: www.12thManFoundation.com/tickets, in person at the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office and Reed Arena Box Office or by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.
POSTGAME NOTES
Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Tanisha Smith, Damitria Buchanan...The Aggies' post players combined for 44 of the team's 84 total points versus Oklahoma City University...The A&M defense held OCU to 52 points for the entire ballgame...The Stars previously averaged 90 points a game in their first two contests of the season against Langston (82) and Central Oklahoma (98)...The Aggies converted 35 OCU turnovers into 41 points...A&M outrebounded the Stars, 41-29...Texas A&M associate head coach Vic Schaefer and OCU head coach Rob Edmisson led the U.S. Women's William Jones Cup Team to a bronze medal in the summer of 2007 in Taipei, Taiwan.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
On the game ...
"We had no idea we could get off to that good of a start tonight. Our kids came wired up for this game. We wanted to make sure we didn't overlook this team. We were flying out there. You can't simulate that type of pressure in practice. I was proud of how we played defensively in the first half. Both coaches agreed to play a zone in the second half. I stayed in it for seven minutes and Coach Edmisson did for 20 minutes. You have to have a change of pace in your defensive scheme. We gave up a lot of easy baskets and missed too many shots. (Sydney) Colson ran her team pretty well. She was pretty active and I liked what she did in the first half. (Tanisha) Smith and (Tyra) White did some good things offensively. We were getting inside more in the second half, because of the zone. We didn't see the best of Oklahoma City tonight, but they are better than that and are a good ball club. They have a couple of solid former D-I players who could play for anyone in the Big 12."
On Danielle Adams ...
"She is working hard and getting adjusted to Division I level of play. When she is underneath she knows how to score. She is so good when she gets the ball and she rarely takes a bad shot."
Texas A&M Junior Forward/Center Danielle Adams
On her thoughts about her first game and the team ...
"I thought I did pretty well for my first game tonight. We are really working on our team chemistry right now. We lost great players in Danielle Gant, Takia Starks and La Toya Micheaux. We have to continue to play hard and play together as a team."
