Feb. 19, 2010
Texas Game Notes in PDF Format 
#15/15 TEXAS A&M (18-6, 6-5) vs. #12/14 TEXAS (19-6, 8-3)
Game #25
February 20, 2010 • Noon (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989)
at College Station, Texas
Television: Fox Sports Net
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas Leads 58-18
Internet: Free Live Statistics and Live Audio at www.AggieAthletics.com
GAME PREVIEW
The 15th-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (18-6, 6-5) looks to continue its winning ways, not only to stay in the hunt in the Big 12 Conference race, but with state bragging rights on the line against No. 12 Texas (19-6, 8-3) in a rivalry rematch scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20 at Reed Arena. An early tipoff for the second installment of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown between the two in-state rivals begins at noon (CT) on Fox Sports Net. Like any meeting between the Aggies and Longhorns, be it on the gridiron, court or diamond, it is an emotionally-charged event that both programs look forward to each season. In basketball, there are two chances to earn a half point toward the showdown standings and the Aggie women have dropped only 1.5 points (three games) to Texas since the sponsored rivalry series first began during the 2004-05 campaign. A&M is currently on a two-game winning streak with a midweek road rout at No. 17 Oklahoma State (69-52) on Feb. 17 and a home win over Kansas State (69-63) on Feb. 13. The OSU victory, in particular, looked like the Aggies of old - a squad which rattled off 14 wins in their first 15 games of the season from November through the early part of January. A&M's signature defense caused the non-turnover prone Cowgirls to a season-high 23 in the ballgame, while its offense was shooting on all cylinders with a 52.9 percent first-half accuracy. The Aggies will have to endure their toughest two-game stretch to date: one, against two nationally-ranked Big 12 foes within a 90-mile radius of College Station and two, all in a span of 72 hours prior to an ESPN2 Big Monday rematch with No. 18 Baylor on Feb. 22. Home court advantage could favor A&M in its second go-around with the Longhorns and Lady Bears this weekend with a near perfect 10-1 mark at Reed Arena this season.
GAME PROMOTIONS
The Aggies will host Bryan-College Station Elementary School Day against the Longhorns. Parents can receive two free tickets to the game by presenting the promotional flyer to the game at the ticket window, requesting tickets online at: http://tickets.12thmanfoundation.com or by calling the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office at: 1-888-99-AGGIE. Extra tickets can be purchased for $3.
EYEING TEXAS
Texas is riding a six-game winning streak and has won eight of its last nine contests in Big 12 Conference play. The Longhorns rebounded from an 0-2 start that included season-opening losses to the Aggies and undefeated Nebraska (91-79) on Jan. 12. Their only other setback of the conference season was a 73-71 overtime loss against Iowa State on Jan. 23. As a team, Texas has played extended minutes on three occasions this year including double OT thrillers at Texas Tech (95-90) on Jan. 16 and most recently at Kansas (85-82) on Feb. 13. Senior guard Brittainey Raven is one of three Longhorn players averaging double figures in the scoring column at 14.8 points per game. Texas has been a successful 4-1 on the road versus league foes and 4-5 on the season against top 25 competition. A&M will be the Longhorns' first ranked opponent since a Feb. 3 meeting at then-No. 13 Oklahoma.
MUST SEE AGGIE TV
Texas A&M will appear on national television twice in the next three days and it couldn't come at a more critical time of the season with the opportunity to showcase Aggie Basketball at its prime with five games remaining in the regular season. It will mark the seventh overall time this season A&M has appeared on the tube. Play-by-play announcer Brent Stover and color analyst Debbie Antonelli will call the action live from Reed Arena on Fox Sports Net. The game will reach households across the country on Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Houston, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports North, FSN Northwest, FSN Rocky Mountain, Fox Sports South (non Grizzlies), Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Wisconsin, Comcast Bay Area (Plus), Comcast Chicago, Comcast New England, The Comcast Network and MSG Plus.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2009-10 Stats)
#4 Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, So. (7.9 ppg, 3.3 apg)
#20 Tyra White, G, 6-0, RS-So. (10.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
#22 Tanisha Smith, G/F, 6-0, Sr. (14.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
#21 Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, So. (7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
#2 Damitria Buchanan, F, 6-2, Sr. (2.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
TEXAS
No. Name (2009-10 Stats)
#33 Ashleigh Fontenette, G, 5-8, So. (10.4 ppg, 3.2 apg)
#10 Brittainey Raven, G, 6-0, Sr. (14.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
#00 Earnesia Williams, F, 6-1, RS-Sr. (6.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
#5 Kathleen Nash, F, 6-2, Jr. (12.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
#22 Ashley Gayle, C, 6-4, So. (6.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
INSIDE THE RIVALRY
Texas leads 58-18 in the all-time series with Texas A&M. However, the Aggies have won six-straight including eight out of the last nine meetings between the two storied rivals. They will look to claim their fourth-ever series sweep of the Longhorns in the home-and-home series next to the 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2008-09 campaigns. Of its 18 overall victories in the series, A&M has won 12 of them on its home court and 11 overall in Big 12 Conference play. In each of the last four contests, the Aggies have won by double digits including a 21-point rout (91-70) over the Longhorns on Jan. 9 in Austin. It marked only A&M's sixth all-time road victory on the road in the state capital.
LAST NINE GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 73-53 (+20) on Feb. 8, 2006 in Austin
W, 79-67 (+12) on Feb. 22, 2006 in College Station
L, 45-64 (-19) on Jan. 21, 2007 in Austin
W, 67-60 (+7) on Feb. 28, 2007 in College Station
W, 66-57 (+9) on Feb. 9, 2008 in College Station
W, 65-50 (+15) on Feb. 24, 2008 in Austin
W, 68-54 (+14) on Jan. 28, 2009 in Austin
W, 76-65 (+11) on Feb. 21, 2009 in College Station
W, 91-70 (+21) on Jan. 9, 2010 in Austin
STATE FARM LONE STAR SHOWDOWN STANDINGS
Last season, Texas A&M held on to the State Farm Lone Star Showdown trophy, its second-straight claim to the hardware in the five-year history of the rivalry series. The women's basketball team swept UT to earn a full point toward the final point count in 2008-09. A&M won the overall campaign by a tied score of 9.5 to 9.5 with contributions from soccer, men's cross country, men's basketball, women's indoor track and field, men's tennis, men's golf, women's golf, softball and men's and women's outdoor track and field. The Longhorns currently lead 6.5 to 1.5 in the latest Showdown standings with A&M's points earned by soccer (1.0) and women's basketball (0.5). For complete results, log onto: www.lonestarshowdown.net.
TEXAS TWO-STEP
Tanisha Smith scored 28 points and No. 10 Texas A&M thumped No. 15 Texas 91-70 in the Big 12 opener for both teams on Jan. 9. The Aggies had five players score in double figures. They opened it up with a 44-19 halftime lead and stretched it as high as 30 points midway through the second half. The Longhorns seemed stunned by A&M's speed and athleticism at nearly every position. Texas simply couldn't keep up. Texas A&M guards Smith, Sydney Colson and Tyra White routinely slashed to the basket, leaving defenders twisting to catch up or standing flat footed in the lane. When they weren't driving for baskets, they were kicking the ball out for 3-pointers. Adaora Elonu scored Texas A&M's first eight points. The Aggies shot 54 percent for the game and the Longhorns seemed to be stuck just watching as A&M ran out to that 25-point hafltime lead. Nothing Texas did could slow it down. While the Aggies were shooting 58 percent in the first half, Texas committed 15 turnovers - 10 in the first 10 minutes - that Texas A&M turned into 18 points. Defensively, the Aggies shut down Kathleen Nash, Texas' best perimeter shooter and one of the best 3-point shooters in the country. Nash scored just six points on 1-of-7 shooting and missed all four 3-pointers. When Danielle Adams converted a three-point play with 13:21 to play, Texas A&M led 61-31. A 15-1 Texas run cut the deficit to 19 when Nash finished a fast break with a layup. That was about all Texas could muster. A 3-pointer by Adams put the Aggies up 78-56, shutting down any realistic chance of a Longhorns rally.
AGGIE RALLY TIME
Over the last three consecutive years in the Gary Blair Era, the Aggies have rallied and finished strong in their last six games of the regular season - games in which the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee weighs heavily in determining at-large bids and top seeds come Selection Monday. A&M is currently 17-2 over the last four years in its final six Big 12 regular-season ballgames prior to heading into the conference tournament. The Aggies went 5-1 in 2006-07 (co-Big 12 regular-season champion), 6-0 in 2007-08 (Big 12 tournament champion and NCAA Elite Eight), 5-1 in 2008-09 (Big 12 tournament finals and NCAA Sweet 16) and 1-0 in 2009-10 (??).
MORE THAN A GAME
For two Texas A&M families, the annual rivalry showdown is much more than a game. Junior point guard Sydney Colson and junior guard Maryann Baker both have siblings who went to school at Texas including Colson's brother, Simmie IV (24), and sister, Simone (21), and Baker's brother, Keith (25). According to both, despite the heated rivalry between the two schools, the house is never divided and their families still don Maroon and White in support of their sisters at every ballgame they can attend.
FROM THE SIDELINES
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 8-7 lifetime versus Texas in his 25 years as a Division I head coach. All eight of his career victories against the Longhorns have come during his time in Aggieland. He is 7-2 all-time when playing a Gail Goestenkors-coached squad in Duke (2-2) and Texas (5-0) combined.
• The Texas A&M and Texas rosters look similar in geography with the majority of each team's players hailing from the Lone Star State as well as from Missouri, California and Oklahoma. Aggie freshman forward/guard Cierra Windham and Longhorn senior guard Erika Arriaran both starred under head coach Rick Thompson at Inland Empire girls' basketball powerhouse Norco High School near Riverside, Calif. Windham was in the eighth grade practicing alongside Arriaran, then a senior and the State Farm/WBCA and Parade Magazine National Player of the Year.
• Danielle Adams celebrated her 21st birthday on Feb. 19 and will reunite for the second time this season with Texas sophomore guard Yvonne Anderson, who is the daughter of Missouri men's basketball head coach Mike Anderson. Both attended Missouri Women's Basketball camps as youngsters and are pals off the court.
OKLAHOMA STATE RECAP
Texas A&M 69, Oklahoma State 52
• For the first time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Tanisha Smith, Damitria Buchanan (1-0).
• With the victory, the Aggies have now won the last six-straight road contests between the two Big 12 South rivals when playing on the road in Stillwater. The 17-point win marked the second-largest road victory in the all-time series with Oklahoma State.
• The A&M defense forced OSU to commit a season-high 23 turnovers in the ballgame. The Cowgirls came into the contest averaging the fifth-fewest turnovers in the country (13.5). OSU's second-most miscues of the season (21 turnovers) occurred in both team's last meeting on Jan. 31 in College Station.
• The Aggie defense also held Oklahoma State All-American Andrea Riley to 0-of-10 shooting from the floor and 0-for-4 shooting from the three-point line in the first half of play. Her two first-half points came from the charity stripe. Riley did not return to the game in the second half due to flu symptoms. It snapped her 82 consecutive-game double-digit scoring streak which ranked second-best in the nation. A&M held Riley to only four first-half points in their first meeting of the season on Jan. 31.
• Adaora Elonu grabbed a league season-high seven of the team's 35 rebounds against OSU.
• Tanisha Smith turned in her third-straight game in double figures with 14 points and Danielle Adams her sixth-straight game with 13 points.
• Tyra White led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season with a team-high 15 points versus the Cowgirls.
AGGIE NOTABLE QUOTABLES
"Texas is on a roll and has won six ballgames in a row. They are playing extremely well. They have a 10-player rotation, because that's all they have on their team. They have the best tandem of post players in our league in Ashley Gayle and Cokie Reed. Between the two of them, they are averaging close to 8.5 blocks per game. Brittainey Raven is still one of the best players in the league and Kathleen Nash is leading the league in three-point shooting. We've always played pretty well against her, because of our defense. That will be the key to the ballgame again - limiting Nash on the boards and three-point shots. (Ashleigh) Fontenette is a very underrated point guard. She and Sydney Carter came onto the scene as unheralded freshmen last year and they are two of the best sophomores in the league. That will be the battle - Fontenette and Carter guarding each other. Texas is the hottest team in the league right now. It's not anything new. This is the team Gail (Goestenkors) knew she had when the season started. That's why we picked her team second or third in the league. They are just living up to who they are supposed to be. Their personnel is still the same, they run the same sets and they are a very up-tempo team. They are also leading the league in scoring averaging almost 80 points a ballgame. It's a game we very much want, because of the national exposure, the rivalry and a half point in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown standings. We are trying to get to eight wins. Everything else after that, you don't worry about it. Texas is next in line. All of the early preseason predictions of finishing in the top 10 and winning the league is gone. Now, it's trying to win the conference tournament championship and trying to get as good a seed as you can get and trying to get better each ballgame. Our last two halves of basketball - the second half against Kansas State and the first half of Oklahoma State - is about as good as we have played all year. On the defensive end against Kansas State and the offensive end against Oklahoma State." - Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair on Texas and closing out Big 12 Conference play strong
"We just lost our focus after the Texas game. We came out aggressive and strong. We knew we needed to start off Big 12 play with a road win. Our last couple of practices have been really good. We've been focusing on the defensive end mainly, but on the offensive end, we have been staying after practice to work on our shooting. We came out strong, aggressive and ready to play at Oklahoma State on Wednesday. We've been working hard rebounding in each of our games and we are trying to stay upbeat and positive. - Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Danielle Adams on what changed after the Texas victory in the Aggies' league opener
"Right now, a lot of seniors in the league are stepping up and realizing this is their last year. We have to go into the game with the same focus and the same mentality like we did in Austin. We've been focused in our last couple of games and practices. We can't be worried about what Texas is doing, but what Texas A&M is going to do. Our main thing was transition, getting fast breaks and denying the wings to get the fast breaks was key for us the last time we played Texas. We were able to limit their top players' touches and get after their point guards. That particular night, we were just the best team on the floor. But, the Big 12 is loaded with teams and on any given night, any team can win. We always get pumped up for the Texas game, but maybe, we should have had the same fire for the games that we lost this season. The Oklahoma State win was a step in the right direction, but we have a lot more steps to go." - Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention Tanisha Smith on Texas and what the Aggies' did well in both team's last meeting in Austin
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 and former assistant coach Tap Bentz on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on www.AggieAthletics.com.