Dec. 11, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
#7/8 TEXAS A&M (6-1) vs. TCU (5-4)
Game #9
December 12, 2010 • 2:00 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,292)
College Station, Texas
Television: None
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Texas A&M leads, 29-4
Internet: Free Live Statistics and Live Video at www.AggieAthletics.com
GAME PREVIEW
The seventh-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (7-1) plays its final home game of 2010 against old Southwest Conference rival TCU (5-4) on Sunday, Dec. 12. Tipoff between the Aggies and the Horned Frogs is set for 2 p.m. (CT) at Reed Arena. It will mark TCU's second trip to Aggieland in the last four years as both programs revitalized the home-and-home series back in 2007-08. A&M bounced back from its first loss of the season at No. 5 Duke with a convincing 100-55 rout of Purdue on Thursday night. The Horned Frogs are also coming off of an impressive victory with an 81-39 win over UTA Wednesday. With TCU, the Aggies close out a tough four-game swing in nine days prior to final exams. Last year, the Horned Frogs rallied from an 11-point deficit on their home court to hand A&M its first loss of the season. The Aggies, however, hold a 29-4 advantage in the all-time series and have never lost to the Frogs at home.
TICKET INFORMATION
The popular “Holiday Hoops” promotion is in effect and runs through the Colorado game on Jan. 8. Fans can purchase tickets for TCU starting at just $4 for adults and $2 for children (general admission). Holiday Hoops tickets can be purchased online at: www.12thManFoundation.com, in person at the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Office and Reed Arena Box Office or by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.
Don't forget our great deal on group tickets which include $3 general admission or $5 reserved lower level seats with the purchase of 20 or more tickets.
PROMOTIONS
One hour prior to tipoff against TCU on Sunday, there will be a Santa photo opportunity in Kids Court. All kids can participate regardless if they are a Junior Aggie Club member or not.
The Student Athlete Advisory Council is hosting the inaugural “Teddy Bear Toss”! Fans are invited to bring a bear or stuffed animal to throw onto the court at halftime. Closest one to the target will win a prize. All bears will be donated to the Christmas toy drive to benefit children in the Brazos Valley.
SCOUTING TCU
TCU is looking for its second straight win over Texas A&M on Sunday. The Horned Frogs earned a 56-54 victory over the Aggies last year on their home court. A&M is the third and highest-ranked team TCU has faced this season and the team is 0-2 against ranked opponents. The Frogs are coming off of a dominating win against UTA in which Helena Sverrisdottir poured in a career-high 30 points. Sverrisdottir is the second-leading scorer with 17.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, followed by Emily Carter with 21.2 point and 5.1 rebounds per contest. They are the only two players that have started every game for TCU. The Frogs are averaging 72.3 points and 42.8 rebounds per game and are 1-1 on the road the season. Head coach Jeff Mittie is in his 12th season at TCU and holds a 243-119 (.671) record with the program.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2010-11 Stats)
51 Sydney Colson, G, 5-8, Sr. (7.3 ppg, 4.7 apg)
4 Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, Jr. (7.8 ppg, 4.5 apg)
20 Tyra White, G, 6-0, Jr. (13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
21 Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, Jr. (10.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
23 Danielle Adams, F/C, 6-1, Sr. (20.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
TCU
No. Name 2010-11 Stats
4 Helena Sverrisdottir, G/F, 6-1, Sr. (17.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
1 Antoinette Thompson, G, 5-7, Jr. (1.6 ppg, 2.4 apg)
15 Emily Carter, G, 6-1, Sr. (21.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
22 Delisa Gross, F, 6-2, So. (8.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
42 Micah Garoutte, C, 6-2, Sr. (3.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
LAST TIME OUT – Dec. 12, 2009
Helen Sverrisdottir scored 20 points and TCU rallied from an 11-point deficit over the final five minutes to beat No. 5 Texas A&M 56-54 on Saturday Dec. 12, 2009 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. TCU extended its home winning streak to 12 games. After A&M's fourth turnover in the final three minutes, T.K. LaFleur hit a pair of free throws to put the Lady Frogs in front 56-54 - their first lead since the 7:10 mark of the first half. A&M turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and misfired on a desperation 3-point attempt as time expired. Tyra White scored 16 points for Texas A&M. White was the only player in double figures for the Aggies, who were held 33 points below their season average and committed a season-high 23 turnovers.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas A&M holds a 29-4 advantage in the all-time series with TCU. Prior to last season, the Aggies had won the last two meetings between the two former rivals, who prior to 2006, had not played each other since the final season of the old Southwest Conference in 1995-96. Sunday's game will mark the third year in a row in which the Horned Frogs will go up against a top-10 ranked Aggie squad. In 2008-09, A&M was ranked a program-best No. 3 in the nation in a 64-50 win on Dec. 21, 2008 in College Station which improved its overall record to an unblemished 10-0. All of the Frogs' four wins in the series have occurred at home or at a neutral site.
THE BIG APPLE AND AMERICA'S FINEST CITY
Up next, the Aggies are on the road for the rest of 2010 and first travel to New York, N.Y., to take on Rutgers on Dec. 19 in the Maggie Dixon Classic. Tipoff at Madison Square Garden is set for 11 a.m. and is televised nationally on ESPNU. After Christmas, A&M then travels to San Diego, Calif., for the four-team Surf 'N Slam College Hoops Classic. The Aggies face Drexel on Dec. 28 at 9 p.m. (CT) and then take on either San Diego State or UTSA on Dec. 30.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Texas A&M's depth this season can be seen by the number of minutes played throughout the 15-player roster which includes a mix of veterans and newcomers. Nine players are currently averaging more than 12 minutes a ball game including seven minutes-or-more from the Aggies' pair of true freshmen. It's no wonder that A&M is receiving an average of 22.6 points per game from its bench this season. The Aggie reserves recently scored a season-high 35 points against Purdue as well as 31 points versus UALR in the season opener on Nov. 16. Top bench producers are Karla Gilbert (6.4 ppg) and Maryann Baker (6.0 ppg).
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The 12th Man does make a difference. The Aggies have won 41 straight non-conference home games, dating back to a 40-46 loss to Houston on 12/30/03. In addition, A&M has won 73 of its last 80 home games.
FROM THE SIDELINES
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is in his 26th overall season as a Division I head coach. He currently ranks in the top 20 in career victories (571) and in the top 30 by winning percentage (.707, 571-237) among active Division I coaches in the NCAA women's basketball record books.
• Blair is the all-time winningest coach in program history with 163 wins and a .688 winning percentage (163-74). He surpassed former head coach Lynn Hickey, who compiled 154 career victories from 1984-1994, with an 84-53 win over Portland State in the NCAA First Round on March 20, 2010 in Seattle, Wash.
• Blair is one of only four active Division I coaches (five all-time) to lead three different programs to the NCAA Tournament next to C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers, Joanne P. McCallie of Duke and Jim Foster of Ohio State. Blair previously coached at Stephen F. Austin (1985-93) and Arkansas (1993-03) and and McCallie at Maine (1992-2000) and Michigan State (2000-07). Blair and Stringer are the only two coaches to guide three different teams to the NCAA Sweet 16.
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 7-2 lifetime versus TCU in his 25 years as a Division I head coach including a 2-2 mark with the Aggies. Both losses have been by three points or less, including a two-point defeat last year and a 69-65 setback to the Horned Frogs in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, A&M's first postseason berth since 1996 and first of its school-record five-straight appearances since.
• Coach Blair and TCU head coach Jeff Mittie are longtime friends and golfing buddies. They play golf together and even went to the first Dallas Cowboys game of the season together a year ago.
PURDUE RECAP
Texas A&M 100, Purdue 55
• For the third time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Sydney Colson, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Danielle Adams. All available Aggies saw action in the game.
• The Aggies moved to 1-2 in the all-time series with Purdue. Forty-five points was the largest margin of victory all-time between the two teams. A&M led by as many as 48 points during the contest.
• The Aggies have now won 41 straight non-conference home games, dating back to a 40-46 loss to Houston on 12/30/03. In addition, A&M has won 73 of its last 80 home games.
• The Aggies scored a season-high 100 points against Purdue. In addition, A&M posted season-highs in assists (24), field goals made (34), 3-point field goals made (10), 3-point field goal percentage (58.8, 10-17) and free throw percentage (.815, 22-27).
• A&M's 100 points marked the 13th time in program history that the Aggies have scored 100 or more points in a game. The last time A&M reached the 100-point mark was on Dec. 8, 2009 in a 108-49 win against North Texas.
• A&M had a season-low nine turnovers, while forcing Purdue to a season-high 26 turnovers. The Aggies outscored Purdue 37-5 off of turnovers.
• With a season-high 24 assists, the Aggies have had 20 or more assists in two games this season, with the other being against UALR on Nov. 16.
• The Aggie bench registered a season-high 35 points and outscored Purdue, 35-12.
• Sydney Carter (DeSoto, Texas) dished out a career-high eight assists against the Boilermakers.
• Kristi Bellock (St. Rose, La.) was the first post player off the bench and played a career-high 16 minutes while contributing a season-best six points. Kristen Grant (Arlington, Texas) also saw a career-high 10 minutes of action.
BLAIR NOTABLE QUOTABLES
On TCU…
“I respect what Coach Mittie is doing there at TCU. He plays the best non-conference schedule of any mid-major school I know of in the last 10 years. That's what makes his teams tougher. They have been exposed to high-caliber competition and situations and that's why they usually make the NCAA Tournament every year and even in their down years, because their RPI is always so good. When you are playing, not just a friend, but an in-state school, you want a little bit of bragging and recruiting rights. Coach Mittie has great balance and has the depth that I have, where he can put different people in the lineup.”
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 AggieAthletics.com.