POPULAR "HALF-PRICE HOLIDAY HOOPS" SPECIAL BEGINS SATURDAY AS AGGIES HOST ULM; TICKETS START AT $5
TEXAS A&M BASKETBALL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, December 9, 2011
COLLEGE STATION-The annual "Half-Price Holiday Hoops" ticket special gets underway this Saturday as No. 22 Texas A&M rides a five-game win streak into a matchup with ULM at Reed Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will not be televised.
All tickets inside Reed are available for half price, starting at $5 and going up to $13. Fans can purchase the tickets at the Reed Arena or Kyle Field ticket offices, at the door on gameday or online at tickets.12thmanfoundation.com.
The game wraps a five-game homestand for the Aggies (7-1), who will be playing their final contest before a showdown with No. 12 Florida in the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 17.
GAME 9:
(#22/25) Texas A&M AGGIES (7-1) vs ULM WARHAWKS (1-7)
Saturday, December 10, 2011 • 7:05 PM CT • TV: None
Reed Arena (12,989) • College Station, Texas
Media Coverage
TELEVISION: None
LIVE VIDEO: None
RADIO: Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Local: WTAW-AM 1620
Satellite Radio: Sirius 92
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: aggieathletics.com
SNAPSHOT: TEXAS A&M
Record: 7-1, 0-0 Big 12
Ranking: 22nd (AP), 25th (USAT/ESPN)
Streak: Won 5
Last 5 / Last 10: 5-0 / 7-1
Last Game: def. Sam Houston (H), 64-37 (Wed.)
Head Coach: Billy Kennedy (SE Louisiana '86)
Record: 218-180 (14th year)
at Texas A&M: 7-1 (first year)
vs. ULM: 5-9
A&M Probable Starters (based on previous game)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG GP / Min
5 Dash Harris G 6-1 171 Sr. 3.4 2.8 4.4 8 / 25.3
10 David Loubeau F 6-8 234 Sr. 10.9 5.0 0.4b 8 / 23.4
13 Jordan Green G 6-4 181 Fr. 5.6 2.8 2.1 8 / 18.6
31 Elston Turner G 6-5 211 Jr. 12.1 3.4 2.1 8 / 29.1
35 Ray Turner F 6-9 232 Jr. 14.3 6.8 0.3b 8 / 24.5
SNAPSHOT: ULM
Record: 1-7, 0-0 Sun Belt
Ranking: NR
Streak: Lost 1
Last 5 / Last 10 : 1-4 / 1-7
Last Game: lost to Louisiana Tech (H), 73-71 (12/3)
Head Coach: Keith Richard (ULM '82)
Record: 158-148 (11th year)
at ULM: 8-31 (second year)
vs. Texas A&M: 0-1
ULM Probable Starters (based on previous game)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG GP / Min
3 Marcelis Hansberry G 6-0 180 So. 6.8 2.4 2.0 8 / 22.3
10 Trent Mackey G 6-3 180 Fr. 7.5 1.6 1.6 8 / 23.0
11 Charles Winborne G 6-1 185 So. 12.5 2.6 2.9 8 / 27.8
35 Trey Lindsey F 6-6 205 Fr. 2.9 3.0 1.0 8 / 20.1
41 Fabio Ribeiro C 6-10 250 Sr. 4.9 5.5 0.4 8 / 22.8
Quick Hits
- A&M has held four straight opponents under 50 points per game for the first time since the start of the 1959-60 season.
- Over those last 4 games, Texas A&M has held foes to 41.5 points per game, 28.5 percent from the floor (63-for-221) and 16.7 percent from 3-point range (11-for-66) ... opponents are averaging 16.7 first-half points this year at Reed Arena and are being held to an average of 21.4 first-half points overall.
- Through games of Dec. 4, Texas A&M ranked sixth nationally in field-goal percentage defense, eighth nationally in scoring defense, 10th nationally in rebound margin and 22nd nationally in 3-point FG% defense.
- The Aggies lead the Big 12 in four categories: scoring defense (51.1), 3-point FG% defense (24.1), rebounding (42.0) and rebound margin (+10.7); A&M ranks second in FG% defense (32.9).
- A&M blocked 8 shots against Sam Houston (12/7), the most since February 2009 ... the Aggies also held SHSU to 25.0 percent from the floor, the lowest since December 2007.
- A&M has won nearly 75 percent of its games since the start of the 2006-07 season (131-46, .740) ... the Aggies are 174-64 (.731) since the start of the '04-05 campaign.
- A&M has won 39 of its last 42 home games, including 16 of its last 19 in Big 12 play ... the Aggies are 52-5 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season with an 19-5 mark in conference games.
- A&M has won 66 straight non-conference games at Reed Arena (dating back to start of 2005-06 season) and 79 consecutive regular-season, non-conference home games (dating back to 2003).
- A&M is 98-9 (.916) all-time in non-conference games at Reed and 118-14 (.894) overall at home since the start of the 2004-05 season.
- Over 55 percent of Texas A&M's points this season have come in the paint (288 of 513, or 56.1%) ... by comparison, last season 40 percent of A&M's points came in the paint (973 of 2192, or 40.1%).
- For the first time in league history, Texas A&M has been picked to win the Big 12 Conference men's basketball championship ... the Aggies sat atop the preseason coaches' poll in a tie with Kansas.
- A&M is one of just 12 schools that have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 6 seasons (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Villanova, Wisconsin, Xavier).
- Texas A&M is one of only 8 schools in the entire country that have won 24 or more games in each of the last 5 seasons (Butler, BYU, Kansas, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, VCU, Xavier).
- Texas A&M opened the year ranked in the top 20 nationally (19th/USAT, 20th/AP) for just the fifth time in school history, but the third time in the last six years ... the Aggies' previous preseason ranked teams were: 1979-80 (14th/AP); 1980-81 (15th/AP); 2006-07 (13th/USAT, 13th/AP); and 2007-08 (14th/USAT, 16th/AP).
ULM: A Closer Look
- Louisiana-Monroe is 1-7 on the season, with the lone win coming at Nicholls State (11/28) by 21 points (86-65) ... the Warhawks have played a loaded schedule, with road defeats coming at Ole Miss, Tennessee and Mississippi State, among others ... ULM is playing its first game since Dec. 3, a tough home loss to Louisiana Tech (73-71).
- ULM returns 3 starters and 9 letterwinners off last year's 7-24 team ... the Warhawks have made 7 NCAA appearances, with the last coming in 1996.
- Keith Richard (ULM '82) is in his second season as the head coach at Louisiana-Monroe.
Series History
- Texas A&M leads the all-time series, 3-1 ... the teams are meeting for the first time since Dec. 15, 2004, when A&M topped ULM 78-36 at Reed Arena ... the Aggies are 2-0 all-time against the Warhawks at Reed ... ULM's lone win came in the Las Vegas Classic in 2001, a 76-61 victory over A&M.
Last Time Out: A&M 64, Sam Houston State 37
- COLLEGE STATION (Dec. 7)-Ray Turner scored 15 points, Elston Turner added 14 and No. 22 Texas A&M beat Sam Houston State 64-37 for its fifth consecutive victory. Ray Turner added 10 rebounds for the Aggies (7-1), who have won 66 straight non-conference home games. Demarcus Gatlin paced the Bearkats with 13 points, despite going 5 of 20 from the field. Sam Houston State finished 15 of 60 (25 percent) from the floor, the fifth straight opponent Texas A&M has held below 35 percent shooting. The Aggies also overpowered SHSU (3-6) inside, compiling a 50-31 rebounding advantage and outscoring the Bearkats 34-16 in the paint. SHSU had trouble slowing Texas A&M's up-tempo offense under first-year coach Billy Kennedy, as the Aggies outscored the Bearkats 11-4 on the fast break.
- POSTGAME NOTES: A&M has held four straight opponents under 50 points per game for the first time since the start of the 1959-60 season ... the 37 points by Sam Houston State was the fewest by an A&M opponent since 2007 (Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 37, 12/16/07) ... opponents are averaging 16.7 points in the first half this year at Reed Arena (6 games, SHSU 17) ... Texas A&M now leads the all-time series with Sam Houston, 66-17, and has won 17 in a row ... A&M has won 66 straight non-conference games at Reed Arena (dating back to start of the 2005-06 season) and 79 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games (dating back to 2003) ... the Aggies are 98-9 all-time at Reed in non-conference play ... the Aggies' 8 blocks were the most since 2009 (9 vs Kansas State, 2/7/09) ... SHSU's 25.0 shooting percentage was the lowest by an A&M opponent since 2007 (24.1 percent by Detroit, 12/19/07) ... Ray Turner posted his first career double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) ... Turner's 10 rebounds were a season high and were two shy of his career best ... Keith Davis blocked a career-high 5 shots ... it was the most blocks by an Aggie since Chinemelu Elonu swatted 5 against Kansas State in 2009 (2/7/09) ... Davis' 7 rebounds were one shy of his season (and career) high.
Defense Notables
- A&M has held four straight opponents under 50 points per game for the first time since 1959 ... the last time the Aggies held four in a row under 50 was the first four games of the 1959-60 campaign (Centenary, Trinity, Houston, Midwestern State) ... the last team to do it 5 straight times was A&M's first ever NCAA team in 1951 (13 straight games).
- Texas A&M has held foes to 51.1 points per game, best in the Big 12 and eighth nationally (through games of 12/4) ... the Aggies have held 7 of their opponents to under 60 points and are unbeaten in those games.
- A&M is holding opponents to just 32.9 percent from the floor, ranking second in the Big 12 and sixth nationally (as of 12/4).
- Opponents are struggling from the perimeter, making just 24.1 percent of treys ... that ranks A&M tops in the Big 12 and 10th nationally (through games of 12/4).
- Over the last 4 games, Texas A&M has held foes to 41.5 points per game, 28.5 percent from the floor (63-for-221) and 16.7 percent from 3-point range (11-for-66).
- Opponents are averaging 16.7 first-half points this year at Reed Arena and are being held to an average of 21.4 first-half points overall.
- A&M held Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (11/26) to 27.8 percent shooting from the floor, the lowest by an A&M opponent since Iowa State in the 2008 Big 12 Tournament (27.4 percent).
- In the 2K Sports Classic semifinal against Mississippi State (11/17), the Bulldogs hit 11 of their first 15 shots (73.3%) through the first 10 minutes of the game, racing out to a 31-9 lead ... A&M's defense held MSU to 28.2 percent shooting (11-of-39) for the rest of the game and to 40.7 percent from the floor overall (22-of-54).
Getting Physical Inside
- The Aggies lead the Big 12 in rebounding (42.0/game) and rebound margin (+10.7).
- A&M blocked 8 shots against Sam Houston (12/7), the most since February 2009 ... the Aggies also held SHSU to 25.0 percent from the floor, the lowest since December 2007.
- A&M is averaging 3.1 blocks per game this year, up from last year's average of 1.5.
- Over 55 percent of Texas A&M's points this season have come in the paint (288 of 513, or 56.1%) ... by comparison, last season 40 percent of A&M's points came in the paint (973 of 2192, or 40.1%).
- A&M's season average stands at 36.0 through 8 games (averaged 27.5 overall in 2010-11 and 30.4 in non-conference play).
- Before the first week of the season, the last time A&M scored 45 or more points in the paint in consecutive games was against Louisiana-Monroe (50) and Chicago State (54) in Dec. 2004 ... the Aggies posted back-to-back games with 40 points in the paint just once last year.
On Point
- Senior Dash Harris leads the team in assists (4.38/game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.69) ... A&M is 46-10 over Harris' career when he has at least 3 assists (7-1 this year, 14-5 as a junior, 15-3 as a sophomore and 10-1 as a freshman).
- Harris ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 29th nationally (as of 12/4) in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.69), and seventh in the Big 12 in assists (4.38).
Up Next
- Texas A&M will battle No. 12 Florida in the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. (home of the NHL's Florida Panthers) ... the game will tip at 1:30 p.m. (CT) and will be the second of a doubleheader, which also features Miami and FAU (11 a.m. CT) ... A&M/UF will air on SUN Sports and will be simulcast on FOX Sports Southwest.