Feb. 13, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
#6/5 TEXAS A&M (21-2, 9-1) at #1/1 BAYLOR (23-1, 10-0)
Game #24
February 14, 2011 • 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Ferrell Center (10,284)
Waco, Texas
Television: ESPN2
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Baylor leads 45-35
Internet: ESPN3.com and Free Live Statistics and Live Audio at www.AggieAthletics.com
GAME PREVIEW
The fifth-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (21-2, 9-1) carries a three-game winning streak into an important ESPN2 "Big Monday" rematch with No. 1 Baylor (23-1, 10-0) on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. (CT) at the Ferrell Center. The Lady Bears and the Aggies were picked to finish first and second, respectively, in the preseason Big 12 Conference coaches' poll and that's exactly where they sit going into Monday's matchup. The contest marks just the fourth game in league history between two top 5 teams. Baylor edged A&M by three points at Reed Arena earlier this year and the Big Monday showdown finds the Aggies looking for their first win against a top five program this season.
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A LOOK AT THE LADY BEARS
Baylor is undefeated in Big 12 play and riding a 20-game winning streak with its only loss of the season to then-No. 1 UConn back on Nov. 16. The Lady Bears have held the top spot in the polls for six straight weeks and boast the top scoring margin (+30.0) and the top defensive field goal percentage (31.0) in the nation. BU has beaten every league team by double digits and its only close game in conference play this season was against the Aggies. The team is led by 6-foot-8 sophomore center Brittney Griner with 22.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game. Freshman guard Odyssey Sims is the team's second-leading scorer with 13.4 points per game, while senior guard Melissa Jones adds 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Eleventh year head coach Kim Mulkey is 286-77 all-time at Baylor and led her team to a national championship in 2005.
ON THE DEUCE
Texas A&M will appear on the deuce for only the eighth time in program history during a regular-season game and will be on the tube for the ninth overall time this season. Play-by-play announcer Dave O'Brien, color analyst Doris Burke and sideline reporter Rebecca Lobo will call the action live from the Ferrell Center on ESPN2.The Aggies are 5-2 all-time when playing on ESPN's sister network including one of the most memorable moments in school history - a last-second drive by all-time leading scorer and former standout Takia Starks to lead the Aggies to a 57-56 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma on Feb. 23, 2009, ending the Sooners' 20-game winning streak. It marked the highest-ranked team A&M had ever beaten and was the first time fans and students rushed onto the court in celebration after a women's game at Reed Arena. As a result of the upset, the Aggies made headlines nationally as Starks' game-winning layup was featured as the No. 3 Top 10 Play of the Day on ESPN SportsCenter.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2010-11 Stats)
51 Takia Starks currently holds that record with 1,141 points from 2007-09.
COLSON DISHES OUT 100+ ASSISTS
For the third straight year, Sydney Colson registered 100+ assists in a single season. With three assists at Iowa State, Colson hit the 100 mark. She currently has 136 assists in 2010-11 which shatters her assist totals from the previous two seasons (129 in 2009-10 and 106 in 2008-09). Colson has been the team leader in assists for the past two years and currently ranks seventh on the career list with 402 assists.
STRONG FINISHES
Over the last four consecutive years in the Gary Blair Era, the Aggies have 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 21-3 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 5-1 in 2009-10 (Big 12 tournament champion).
HOT FROM THE FLOOR
The Aggies are shooting 46.6 percent from the field this season, which ranks third in the Big 12 and seventh in the nation. That means three teams in the league, Baylor (5th - 47.9%) and Kansas (6th - 46.9%) included sit in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage. What's more is that the Aggies' 46.6 shooting percentage ranks second all-time in program history, next to the 1985-86 team that shot 47.4 percent from the floor.
20-WIN SEASON, YET AGAIN
With a win over No. 12 Oklahoma on Feb. 9, Texas A&M recorded its sixth consecutive 20-win season under head coach Gary Blair and 11th overall in 37 all-time seasons of Aggie Basketball. It was the fastest any A&M team has reached 20 wins in a season and was also Blair's 20th 20-win season as a Division I head coach.
A SIZZLING START
Texas A&M is off to the best start in school history, winning 21 of its first 23 games. The Aggies have also gotten out to their first-ever 9-1 start in Big 12 play and look to improve on their record against Baylor. Previously, A&M at best has gone 8-2 to start league play in 2006-07.
THE BEST OF BLAIR
In 26 years as a Division I head coach, A&M's 21-2 start is the best of any team Gary Blair has coached since 1992. In two seasons at Stephen F. Austin (1989-90 and 1991-92), Blair led his teams to 28-2 records before the team dropped its final game of each season in the NCAA Tournament for impressive 28-3 overall records each year.
FROM THE SIDELINES
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 9-14 lifetime versus Baylor in his 26 years as a Division I head coach. Blair was previously an assistant coach to current Baylor assistant coach Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech from 1980-85 and their star point guard was Kim Mulkey who led the Lady Techsters to back-to-back national championship titles in 1981 (AIAW) and 1982 (NCAA).
KANSAS RECAP
Texas A&M 81, Kansas 58
• For the 16th time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Sydney Colson, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Danielle Adams. The Aggies are 14-2 with this starting lineup. Every able Aggie player saw action in the game.
• Texas A&M now leads 9-7 in the all-time series with Kansas. The Aggies have won the last eight straight and nine of the last 10 matchups.
• A&M swiped a first-half season-high 13 steals en route 18 on the evening, which was the second most the Aggies have recorded all season. The Aggies only allowed four steals from Kansas, which matched its season-low.
• A&M outscored Kansas 50-28 in the paint.
• For the seventh time this season, the Aggies distributed 20 assists in a game.
• Sydney Colson finished with a season-high 16 points and nine assists
• Adaora Elonu had eight points, nine rebounds, a season-high four assists, three steals and three blocked shots.
• In the Aggies BTHO Breast Cancer game, $33,300 was raised for breast cancer research and the Kay Yow Foundation from the post-game jersey auction alone.
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 the Ferrell Center alongside color analyst Steve Miller on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on AggieAthletics.com and RadioAggieland.com.