Spring Break
Women face Texas in next chapter of Lone Star face-off
By: Brad Cox
Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: Sports
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The Aggies are meeting No. 16 Texas at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin in their second Top 25 road game in four days.
"We just had three games in seven days and this will make four in 10," said A&M Head Coach Gary Blair. "It's what it is. We can't do anything about the schedule."
The Longhorns are 15-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12. They are 12-0 at home and A&M is 7-2 on the road.
"I look for it as an opportunity," Blair said. "If you're going to make a statement on who you are, play the best teams, because we tend to play better against the better teams in the league."
The Aggies won their first 12 games of the season, five of which were on the road, before losing at Florida State on Jan. 5. They have since gone 3-2 in Big 12 play with consecutive losses to No. 5 Baylor and No. 3 Oklahoma.
A&M broke the two-game losing streak on Saturday against No. 25 Oklahoma State. In senior Danielle Gant's fourth double-double of the season, the Aggies beat the Cowgirls 60-50. A&M trailed 23-21 at halftime but recovered in the second half for a 10-point win.
Gant scored a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. Gant is averaging 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Aggies leading scorer senior guard Takia Starks, who is averaging 15.3 points per game, scored 15 points against the Cowgirls.
Texas is coming off an 89-69 loss at Oklahoma. Senior forward Ashley Lindsey led the Longhorns with 15 points. Junior guard Brittainey Raven and sophomore guard Kathleen Nash, who lead Texas in scoring with 13.9 points per game each, were held to nine and eight points respectively against the Sooners.
Blair said limiting Nash's touches will be the key to controlling the Longhorns.
"Texas is one of the three most talented teams in our conference," Blair said. "It's up to us to make sure talent doesn't come out and that's her job to make sure her talent does come out and execute."
When the Aggies played Oklahoma, Sooner twins Ashley and Courtney Paris scored a combined 27 points and pulled down 24 rebounds. Against the Longhorns the Paris twins scored 33 points and pulled down 31 rebounds.
Texas is ranked No. 6 in the nation from beyond the 3-point line with a 39.2 shooting percentage. Though, the Aggies are No. 2 in the nation in defending the 3-pointer, holding opponents to a 23.0 shooting percentage.
The game will be the ninth Lone Star Showdown of the 2008-2009 athletic calendar. After the Longhorns men's basketball team beat A&M 67-58 on Jan. 24, the Longhorns lead the Showdown standings 5-1.5. The women's basketball team can pick up a half point for the reigning Lone Star Showdown champion Aggies with a win in Austin.
A&M won in 2008 in Austin for the first time in two years. It was the second time the Aggies had won at Texas since the Big 12 began play in 1996.
"I get up for these games," Blair said. "You live and die for games in ten days and all Top 25s."
Where to watch
The women's basketball game will be televised at 7 p.m. today on Fox Sports Network Southwest.
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