Horns go to A & M looking for their first league road win. A&M is 1-2 at home in Big 12 games. Texas is also looking to break a two game losing streak while the Aggies want to extend their three game winning streak which includes their first home league win. A & M is 4-4 in the league (16-6 for the season) while Texas is 3-5 and 15-7. This is the first time for these coaches to face off in the Big 12. Overall, Coach G is 2-1 versus A&M Coach Blair. The game is very likely to be a slow scoring defensive battle. The teams rank in the lower middle of the Big 12 in scoring at 61.4 ppg for Texas and 60.4 ppg for the Aggies. A & M is tops in the league in defense, holding teams to 58.5 ppg. The Horns allow just 3.3 ppg more. The Horns continue to be last in the league in FG% at 35.6%. A & M is seventh at 39.9%. The advantage the Horns hold is at the FT line as they are making 71% of their FTs while the Aggies rank 11th with a percentage of 63.3. Another item to look at when considering how a team plays defense is the number of steals they get. These two are tied for first in the league, grabbing 10.1 steals a game. Both teams are in the top three in TO margin. A & M is first with a margin of plus 3.6 and Texas is third with a plus 3.2 margin. The Aggies make 15.3 TOs and force 18.9. The Horns’ numbers are 16.4 and 19.6. Neither team is much of a 3pt threat generally as Texas ranks 8th with an average of 4 made 3s per game. A & M is at 10th in the league with 3.1 made 3s a game. The Aggies continue to press and force TOs all over as they have since Coach Blair took over. Coach G, as we have seen, applies the same type of pressure with similar results so far in her first season at Texas. A & M returned five starters from last season’s Big 12 cochamps. They lost one, Morenike Atunrase, a 5-foot-10 senior combination guard/forward, to surgery to correct a non-healing stress fracture in her right tibia before the season started. She returned for the Auburn game on December 15. She has come off the bench except for two games, one in conference play. Katy Pounds, a reserve forward, was placed on a medical scholarship as she was unable to continue playing. LaToya Gulley, a reserve guard, suffered an ACL injury on 01-23-08. Tyra White, a shooting guard who was a McDonald’s AA, had an ACL against SMU on November 09, 2007. With all those players, there were 15 on the roster. Wonder if the first McD’s AA signed by A & M last season, Adrian McGowen, another shooting guard, is still on the team. She was listed on the 2007-08 prospectus but is not the current roster nor has she shown up on the season stats. Starks and Gant are the leading scorers for A & M in conference play. They are the only two players in double digits scoring at 17.8 and 14.0 ppg respectively. Gant, a 5-11 G/F, leads the team in rebounding at 8.4 rpg. Micheaux, a 6-3 C, is second at 6.4. Starks has taken 31% of the Aggies attempted FGs in conference games. Starks has taken 47% of all the 3s the Aggies have attempted in conference. Franklin and Atunrase are the other main threats from BTA. Those three have made all 25 3s made by A & M in the Big 12 games. They have attempted 90% of the Aggies 3pt attempts. The Aggies have four players that have taken at least 18 FTs. The Aggies have eight players that have played in all eight conference games to date. Atunrase joins the five starters in averaging double digit minutes. Starks, Gant, Franklin, and Micheaux are the four that have started all eight Big 12 games. Reado has started seven with Atunrase having one start. Buchanan, a 6-2 F, and Colson, a 5-8 G, are the others that have played in all the conference games. They average just under nine minutes each. The other six average at least 20 minutes with Starks’ 37 minutes tops. Gant at 34 mpg and Franklin at 32 mpg are also over 30 minutes per game. Texas is led in scoring in conference by Brittainey (13.5 ppg) and Ashley (12.5 ppg). Kat is the leading rebounder in Big 12 play with an 7.8 average. Ashley is second at 7.3. The Horns are more balanced in who takes shots reflecting Coach G’s take the open shot approach. The Horns’ top two scorers are taking 21% of the shots attempted. Four other players take at least 5 shots a game. Five players have taken between 12 and 26 3s in the 8 Big 12 games. Kat has taken 26 3s and made 10, both numbers leading the team. Her 90.5 FT% (19-21) is tops on the team for players taking at least 10 FTs. Brit’s 33 of 48 FTs (69%) are in FTs made and attempted. The Horns also play primarily eight players. Seven of those players have played in all eight conference games. Earnie has played in all seven conference games she has been available for. Six players average between 21 and 33 minutes a game. A seventh averages just over 10 while the eighth is at 9.6 mpg. This game will turn on which team can handle the pressure defense of the other and force TOs with their defense. A & M does not match up with the size that Texas has but could have an edge in quickness. Starks, Franklin, Gant, and Atunrase can all slash and drive and hit the three. Micheaux has not been a scoring threat so far in conference play. She will have to work to keep up with a running Ashley. If Kat can get open looks, she continues to be the best 3pt shooter for the Horns. Carla has not taken many but is hitting half of her 3s in Big 12 games. Starks relys on quantity on her 3s to hit her1.6 per game. The Aggies are unlikely to get open looks but neither are the Horns. I expect an ugly, tight, defensive game. The Horns have a slight edge statistically on the boards and will have a height advantage they will have to exploit to win. A & M relies on quickness to rebound. Boxing out will be crucial for the Horns to limit the ability of the Aggies to grab offensive rebounds. The game will be on FSN at 11AM. KVET 1300 AM will carry the game in the Austin area. Game story from A&M. Game story from Texassports.com.>The Link
One of the WORST offensive performances in a half I have seen in since I started watching UT women's basketball in 1984. It ISN'T what A&M is doing. It's what Texas ISN'T. The turnovers really are maddening -- many of them UNFORCED. Even worse, this performance is after a week off to refocus. Sadly, when Carla plays poorly -- and I thinik she has -- there isn't a legitimate option to replace her. How did this program get to to point where we consistently shoot less than 35 percent? I will give Coach G an opportunity to recruit her own brand of scorers, but for now, it's work with what we have.
I agree. They are just throwing the ball to a direction and hoping someone will come up with it. Lindsey just threw the ball away a second ago. Also am ticked with the free throw shooting. I don't know what the percentage is, but they're missing too many.
Our team seemed addled by the intense A&M pressure and physicality in the first half. We are athletic, but the Aggies looked a lot quicker and more athletic in that half. I haven't looked at the stats, but I thought the refs allowed a lot. Having Ashley and Brittainy, especially Ashley, on the bench most of the first half put us in a terrible position. Gant went wild inside. We played well in the second half. We picked up our defense so well. Surely we'll surprise someone soon, maybe Baylor on Wednesday.
I was at the game and my friend and I, as we returned to Austin, were just remarking that the refs really stayed out of it. I thought they did a pretty good job, and this from a woman who is usually voted most likely to yell at the refs by my neighbors at the Eriwin center. I also thought our women played with a lot of heart in the second half to come back to within four points after having let themselves get down by 19 at the half. I know the Ag fans were feeling it. Our intensity shut them up in the second half until the last two minutes. It was disappointing to have them lose this game. This team has far to go. It's clear to me as I watch that they are moving forward. They are learning from every game.
I didn't see the game but it sounds like they did a fair job of getting things going. I have no doubt that Coach G will get things turned around. Maybe not this year or next but they will be in the final four within four years.
This team is a mystery to me. Most of them were highly recruited coming out of high school- and when they play well, I think they can hang with anyone, but it is rare that all players play well at the same time, though they can certainly all play badly at the same time, and why they cannot play well for more than a ten minute stretch befuddles me. Are there chemistry issues on the team? We are over half way through conference play - so the new schemes excuse is wearing thin - and the problems seem problems of execution. Carla was clutch at the end of the OSU game, but a turnover machine in the first half today, and that missed lay-up which would have cut the deficit to 2 today was the end of the comeback and the momentum breaker. The second half comeback today showed guts and heart, but why the lack of consistency, particularly on the offensive end? I am not interested in excuses , but any ideas?
Yeah, I have an idea......let the players who are hustling their butts off start in the game....that would be Niqky, Kat & Kristen Nash, off the top of my head.....some starters are just not putting forth the effort they should be..............JMHO........
i agree this group of athletes are puzzling because they were so highly sought after - i can remember discussion with some former staff members about their lack of work habits on a consistent, big time college level and their inability to grasp the defensive side of the game - maybe there some truth to that since there has been a coaching change and some of the same problems are there - however, i still think the injuries to this group has been the biggest culprit - they have just never had a full season together to mesh - this season has probably been the healthiest and then erica gets hurt, nicky has surgery, etc - i have no doubt that coach g will get it done, but it will take time
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE! Sit some of the starters on the bench and send a message. Make them work for their spots. I said it before...I like both Nash sisters on the floor...DOUBLE HUSTLE!!
