March 21, 2010
NCAA Second Round Game Notes in PDF Format 
#2 TEXAS A&M (26-7) vs. #7 GONZAGA (28-4)
NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship Second Round
Game #34
March 22, 2010 • 8:40 p.m. (CT)
Bank of America Arena (10,000)
at Seattle, Wash.
Television: ESPN2
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas A&M Leads 1-0
Internet: Free Live Statistics and Live Audio at www.AggieAthletics.com
GAME PREVIEW
The second-seeded and ninth-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (26-7) will reunite for the second time this season with seventh-seeded and 14th-ranked Gonzaga (28-4) in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship on Monday, March 22 at Bank of America Arena in Seattle. The rematch between the Aggies and Bulldogs is set for 8:40 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2 in what is sure to be a fast-paced and physical matchup of two of the nation's top back courts, one, the postseason champion of the Big 12 Conference, and the other, the regular-season and postseason champion of the West Coast Conference. A&M is guided by its "Two Syds" combination of sophomore point guard and All-Big 12 honorable mention Damitria Buchanan as well as the Zags' Heather Bowman and Vivian Frieson. The Aggies have never faced a non-conference opponent in NCAA Tournament play during the same season in the 36-year history of the program. A win on Monday would guarantee them a third-straight trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. They are 3-1 all-time in second-round games.
ON THE DEUCE
Texas A&M will appear on ESPN's sister network for the third time this season with play-by-play announcer Allen Hopkins and color analyst Krista Blunk calling second-round action live from Bank of America Arena located on the campus of host University of Washington. The game will be televised on a regional basis in the state of Texas and Washington on ESPN2. DirectTV viewers should tune their dial to the ESPN alternate channels in the 210s, while Dish Network viewers will find the ESPN alternate channels in the 140s. Cable subscribers should use their normal ESPN/ESPN2 channel(s). The game will also be offered via ESPN360.com.
AGGIES IN NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY
Texas A&M is 9-6 all-time in postseason play and are making their seventh all-time NCAA Tournament appearance next to 1994, 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair has now led 16 of his all-time squads at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and A&M combined to the Big Dance with a 21-15 career record in NCAA Tournament games and 7-4 mark with the Aggies. He is one of only two Division I women's basketball coaches next to C. Vivian Stringer (Cheyney State, Iowa and Rutgers) to take three teams to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Aggies are one of eight top seeds in this year's 64-team field including Connecticut, Nebraska, Stanford, Tennessee, Duke, Notre Dame and Ohio State. Last year, A&M reached the Sweet 16 for the second-straight year, but lost to sixth-seeded Arizona State (84-69) in the semifinals of the Trenton Regional. Historically, six No. 2 seeds have gone on to win a national championship title including Tennessee in 1987, Louisiana Tech in 1988, Texas Tech in 1993, Connecticut in 2004, Baylor in 2005 and Maryland in 2006. Ironically, the Aggies will be staying at the same No. 2 seed hotel in Seattle which kicked off the first leg of the Lady Bears' 2005 national title run that included stops in Tempe, Ariz., and later the Women's Final Four in Indianapolis.
A LOOK AT THE ZAGS
Gonzaga is currently on a 19-game winning streak since dropping an 80-76 decision to A&M in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic on Dec. 20. The Bulldogs received a program-best No. 7 seed and are making their third all-time NCAA Tournament appearance under 10th-year head coach Kelly Graves. They rank among the top five teams in the country in scoring offense (81.0), scoring margin (+22.8) and field-goal percentage (47.8). The Zags' three other losses of the season were against South Dakota State (75-71) in overtime on Nov. 13, Stanford (105-74) on Nov. 29 and Baylor (70-49) on Dec. 19. GU most notably upset fifth-seeded Xavier as the No. 12 seed in the 2009 NCAA First Round. Gonzaga advanced with an 82-76 victory over 10th-seeded North Carolina in the first round.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2009-10 Stats)
#4 Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, So. (7.7 ppg, 3.5 apg)
#20 Tyra White, G, 6-0, RS-So. (10.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
#22 Tanisha Smith, G/F, 6-0, Sr. (15.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
#21 Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, So. (8.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
#2 Damitria Buchanan, F, 6-2, Sr. (2.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
GONZAGA
No. Name (2009-10 Stats)
#21 Courtney Vandersloot, G, 5-8, Jr. (14.5 ppg, 9.5 apg)
#34 Tiffanie Shives, G, 5-10, Sr. (8.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
#11 Janelle Bekkering, G, 6-0, Jr. (4.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
#12 Vivian Frieson, F, 6-0, Sr. (12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
#30 Heather Bowman, F, 6-2, Sr. (15.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
SERIES NOTES
Texas A&M leads 1-0 in the all-time series with Gonzaga. The Aggies came away with an 80-76 victory (+4) over Gonzaga in both program's first-ever meeting during the regular season at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic on Dec. 20, 2009. Arizona State and Baylor rounded out the four-team tournament field in the desert.
LAST TIME OUT
Damitria Buchanan hit a free throw to seal the win.
AGAINST THE WCC
The Aggies are 14-5 all-time against opponents from the West Coast Conference having played Gonzaga (1-0), Loyola Marymount (1-0), Pepperdine (3-1), Portland (2-0), Saint Mary's (4-0), San Francisco (1-3) and Santa Clara (2-1).
SENIOR MOMENT
Texas A&M senior forward Damitria Buchanan has played in 133 career games since her freshman campaign in 2006-07. She is one of only seven Aggies to have competed in four-straight NCAA Tournaments next to former standouts Morenike Atunrase (2005-08), Patrice Reado (2005-08), A'Quonesia Franklin (2005-08), Takia Starks (2006-09), Danielle Gant (2006-09) and La Toya Micheaux (2006-09). Her game total ranks fifth-most behind 138 career games played by former player Trigg Crawford (1977-81) and 135 by all-time leading scorer Starks, Gant and Micheaux.
STREAK BREAKERS
The Aggies and their signature in-your-face defense have been known to cause a ruckus on the court over the last five years in relation to causing upsets and breaking streaks. They will be looking to do the same against Gonzaga's current 19-game run on Monday. A&M snapped Nebraska's Big 12 record 30-game winning streak and handed the Huskers their first loss of the 2009-10 season. Three years ago, the Aggies ended then No. 6-ranked Oklahoma's 26-game Big 12 Conference winning streak with a 54-52 upset on Jan. 27, 2007 in Norman, Okla.
FROM THE SIDELINES
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 1-0 lifetime versus Gonzaga in his 25 years as a Division I head coach and he is an undefeated 8-0 all-time against teams from the West Coast Conference.
• Texas A&M men's basketball video coordinator Stephen Gentry played four seasons of college basketball at Gonzaga, lettering three times as a guard. He was teammates with Adam Morrison, the 2006 college player of the year. During Gentry's four years, the Zags built a 107-20 record, winning four straight West Coast Conference titles. Gonzaga advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2006 and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament three other times in his career.
• The Aggies will face back-to-back schools from the Pacific Northwest (Portland State and Gonzaga) for the first time in 16 all-time NCAA Tournament games played. They are 1-1 versus opponents that call the West Coast home including a 75-72 overtime win over fifth-seeded San Diego State as the No. 13 seed which resulted in the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1994 under former head coach Lynn Hickey.
PORTLAND STATE RECAP
Texas A&M 84, Portland State 53
• For the 10th time this season and 10th consecutive ballgame, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Damitria Buchanan (9-1). Carter, White, Elonu and Buchanan made their first career start in NCAA Tournament play.
• With the win, the Aggies even the all-time series with Portland State at 1-1 and have now won four-straight NCAA opening-round games since 2007. It also marked the 155th career victory for seventh-year Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair who became the all-time winningest women's basketball coach in school history surpassing 154 career victories compiled by former head coach Lynn Hickey from 1984-1994.
• Danielle Adams extended her current double-digit scoring streak to eight games with a game-high 23 points against Portland State in 23 minutes of action off the bench. It marked her seventh 20-point game of her career and the second-best all-time scoring performance by an Aggie in an NCAA contest.
• Tanisha Smith dished out a career-high nine assists which was the second-most by an Aggie in an NCAA Tournament game behind a school-record 11 by Lisa Branch versus Florida in the NCAA First Round in 1994. Smith had a near triple-double performance with 17 points and 10 rebounds, which marked her fifth double-double of her career.
• Sophomore Adaora Elonu registered nine of her 15 points in the first half of play versus the Vikings. She previously only scored two points in three NCAA games played during her freshman campaign in 2008-09.
• Sydney Colson scored in double figures for the first time since registering 10 points at Colorado on Feb. 27. She missed four games of the season, and most of the month of February, with a stress reaction in her left fibula. Her 13 points versus PSU matched a personal best for her in eight career NCAA Tournament games played since her freshman campaign in 2007-08. She also turned in 13 against Minnesota in the NCAA Second Round in 2009.
• The Aggies, who were averaging 75.4 points per game leading into the first-round contest, knocked down 84 points against Portland State to mark the second most points scored by A&M in an NCAA game.
AGGIE NOTABLE QUOTABLES
"We know we are not going to be able to hold them in the 50's in scoring. They might be the best transition team we have faced all year. They are very athletic, run the floor well and know to go to their spots. Their point guard (Courtney Vandersloot) is a next-level player. She is just beautiful to watch when she directs the offense and does the simple things on defense where she already has a 113 steals. (Heather) Bowman and (Vivian) Frieson are very good and we have to limit one of those two. We got Bowman in foul trouble in Vegas. They play a real wide three-two zone and do a lot of good things. North Carolina was able to hurt them inside, but Gonzaga doesn't foul. They sort of have a mindset like Iowa State, where they think they can outscore you, so you have to make sure you don't put them at the free throw line. We did a good job of getting to the free throw line against Portland State, but we had a huge mismatch inside where we could work `em. Frieson is very effective as well as (Kayla) Standish with her blocked shots. I think it will be shootout. Gonzaga could play in any BCS conference and be in the top third of any league they play in very similar to their men. They've done a great job of developing and recruiting talent. (Gonzaga head coach) Kelly (Graves) is building their women's program like their men's program. You are going to see and hear about Gonzaga in women's basketball for as long as their coach is there. He is very good and the kids work hard for him." - Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair on Gonzaga
"It will be a really good game. They know what we do and we know what they do just from playing each other in the Las Vegas tournament in December. After watching them play against UNC, Gonzaga did the same thing they did against us in the second half (in Las Vegas) by trying to get it out in transition and run. We are at a point right now, where we are getting out and running on people as well. We have to do a better job of getting back in transition, because we didn't do very well in the first half against Portland State. Everyone will be focused on our team, but we are definitely not underestimating them. They are a really good team, have won 19-straight and haven't lost since they lost to us in Vegas. I have a feeling it will be a fast-paced game, but hopefully we will be the ones controlling the tempo. I'm looking forward to it being a high intensity game." - Texas A&M junior point guard Sydney Colson on playing Gonzaga for the second time this season
"I think both teams have changed since we played them earlier in the season (in Vegas), so we can't exactly go by the same game plan. They like to run and we will just have to adapt and try to control the tempo of the game. Playing Gonzaga again should be fun and challenging. It will be very interesting to see what the outcome will be and hopefully, we will prevail." - Texas A&M sophomore forward Adaora Elonu on the difference between playing Gonzaga in the regular season and once again in the postseason
AGGIES ON THE RADIO
All postseason 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 Bank of America Arena alongside color analyst and former player A'Quonesia Franklin on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on www.AggieAthletics.com.