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Aggies Host Razorbacks in NCAA Second Round
COLLEGE STATION, Texas –
The 14th-ranked and No. 3 seed Texas A&M women’s basketball team
has advanced to the second round of the 2012 NCAA Division I
Championship for the sixth straight season and in a matchup of future
Southeastern Conference opponents, A&M faces Arkansas on Monday,
March 19 at the Reed Arena. Tipoff between the Aggies and the
Razorbacks is set for 8:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2. A win Monday would
guarantee A&M its fourth trip in five years to the NCAA Sweet 16.
#3 TEXAS A&M (23-10) vs. #6 ARKANSAS (24-8)
Game 34
Monday, March 19, 2012 • 8:30 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,292)
College Station, Texas
Television: ESPN2
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM)
Series History: Arkansas leads 20-2
Internet: : ESPN3.com, Free Live Statistics and Live Audio at AggieAthletics.com
TEXAS A&M
Record: 23-10 (11-7 Big 12)
Ranking: #22 (AP), #14 (Coaches)
Last Result: W, 69-47 vs. Albany on March 17, 2012
Up Next: If win, NCAA Sweet 16 on March 25, 2012
Head Coach: Gary Blair, Ninth Season
Texas A&M Record: 211-89 (.703)
Career Record: 619-252 (.711) 27th Season
ARKANSAS
Record: 24-8 (10-6 Southeastern Conference)
Ranking: RV (AP), RV (Coaches)
Last Result: W, 72-55 vs. Dayton on March 17, 2012
Up Next: If win, NCAA Sweet 16 on March 25, 2012
Head Coach: Tom Collen, Fifth Season
Arkansas Record: 93-65 (.589)
Career Record: 310-135 (.697) 14th Season
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP ON TV
•
ESPN networks will air all 63 games of the NCAA Division I Women’s
Basketball Championship. Play-by-play announcer Carter Blackburn and
color analyst Tamika Raymond will call first-and second-round action
live from Reed Arena on ESPN2 and ESPN3.
• Monday, Texas A&M will appear on the tube before a national television audience for the 16th time this season.
• The Aggies are 9-6 on national TV this season.
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 RadioAggieland.com.
AGGIES IN NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY
•
The Aggies are 16-7 all-time in postseason play and are making their
ninth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance next to 1994, 1996, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
• A&M is 4-2 all-time in the second round of the tournament and is 1-1 all-time against a No. 6 seed.
•
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair has now led 18 of his all-time
squads at Stephen F. Austin (6-6), Arkansas (8-5) and A&M (14-5)
combined to the Big Dance with a 28-16 career record in NCAA Tournament
games.
TEXAS A&M ALL-TIME NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (9)
2012 – TBA (No. 3 seed)
2011 – NCAA National Champion (No. 2 seed)
2010 – NCAA Second Round (No. 2 seed)*
2009 – NCAA Sweet 16 (No. 2 seed)
2008 – NCAA Elite Eight (No. 2 seed)*
2007 – NCAA Second Round (No. 4 seed)
2006 – NCAA First Round (No. 6 seed)
1996 – NCAA First Round (No. 7 seed)*
1994 – NCAA Sweet 16 (No. 13 seed)
* NCAA Automatic Bid
AGGIE NCAA TOURNAMENT TIDBITS
•
Texas A&M is making a school-record seventh straight appearance in
the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the streak, the Aggies had never played
in consecutive NCAA Tournaments and had not been a part of March
Madness since 1996.
• The Aggies are one of only four elite programs
to be selected as a No. 4 seed or higher for six straight years. The
other three teams include Connecticut, Stanford and Duke.
• For the
past four years, A&M received four straight No. 2 seeds (2008,
2009, 2010, 2011) and is the only program in NCAA history to do so.
Four other programs have earned just three consecutive No. 2 seeds
including Texas Tech (1993, 1994, 1995) Purdue (2002, 2003, 2004),
Stanford (2007, 2008, 2009) and Duke (2010, 2011, 2012).
• A&M received its first-ever No. 3 seed on this year’s Selection Monday.
•
Texas A&M is the only site in the state of Texas to host the first
and second rounds of the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball
Championship. The Aggies host for the first time since the 1994 NCAA
Tournament, when the first round was held in G. Rollie White Coliseum.
•
Texas A&M will also host first and second round games next season
and is one of just four institutions in the nation to host those rounds
in both 2012 and 2013. A&M will be one of three Southeastern
Conference schools to host next year.
• Blair is one of only two
Division I women’s basketball coaches next to C. Vivian Stringer
(Cheyney State, Iowa and Rutgers) to take three teams to the NCAA Sweet
16.
• In addition, Blair is one of only three all-time NCAA DI
women's basketball coaches to lead two different teams to the NCAA
Women’s Final Four next to Marianne Stanley (Old Dominion and Stanford)
and Stringer.
• Historically, only two No. 3 seeds have gone on to
win a national championship title including Tennessee in 1997 and North
Carolina in 1994.
• A&M’s roster has a combined 88 games of NCAA
Tournament experience, but a majority of that has come off the bench or
late in secured wins. The Aggies total 29 starts in NCAA play, with
seniors Carter, Elonu and White with nine each. White has the most
career NCAA minutes (332), while Carter and Elonu are each over 250.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
• The University of Arkansas is located in Fayetteville, Ark., has an enrollment of 21,406 and was founded in 1871.
•
The Razorbacks return 11 letterwinners, including five starters from
their 2010-11 squad that finished 22-12 overall and 6-10 (12th) in the
Southeastern Conference.
• Arkansas received an at-large bid to the
Big Dance and returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since
2003. The Razorbacks are in their ninth all-time tournament appearance.
•
Arkansas is led by C’eira Ricketts with 11.3 points, 4.6 rebound and
4.4 assists per game. Sarah Watkins also averages double figures with
10.0 points per game. Ashley Daniels is the Razorbacks’ leading
rebounder with 6.5 boards per game.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No.
Name
2011-12 Stats
10
Alexia Standish, G, 5-8, Fr.
5.4 ppg, 2.0 apg
04
Sydney Carter, G, 5-6, Sr.
11.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
20
Tyra White, G, 6-0, Sr.
13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg
21
Adaora Elonu, F, 6-1, Sr.
11.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg
03
Kelsey Bone, C, 6-4, Jr.
12.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg
ARKANSAS
No.
Name
2011-12 Stats
04
Sarah Watkins, F, 6-0, Jr.
10.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg
12
Ashley Daniels, P, 6-2, Sr.
7.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg
21
Dominique Robinson, F, 6-0, RS-So.
6.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
22
C’eira Ricketts, F/G, 5-9, Sr.
11.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg
33
Lyndsay Harris, G, 5-9, Sr.
9.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
2011-12 Category
TAMU
ARKANSAS
Overall Record
23-10
24-8
Conference Record
11-7
10-6
Points Per Game
67.8
62.2
Scoring Margin
+8.4
+10.1
Rebounds Per Game
38.5
38.9
Rebounding Margin
+3.6
+3.3
Field Goal Percentage
42.2
38.5
Field Goal% Defense
40.1
36.5
3-Point FG%
31.3
29.0
Free Throw Percentage
65.0
64.5
Turnovers Per Game
14.8
14.8
Assists Per Game
14.3
13.1
Blocks Per Game
4.6
3.9
Steals Per Game
9.3
9.6
INSIDE THE SERIES
•
Arkansas leads the all-time series with Texas A&M 20-2, but the two
teams have not faced each other since 1991. The two teams played each
other at least once every year from 1981-91, including the last nine
years as members of the Southwest Conference. A&M’s two wins
against the Razorbacks came in the same season, 1988.
UP NEXT
•
Should the Aggies win their NCAA Second Round game they will continue
on through the Raleigh Regional and meet either second-seeded Maryland
or seventh-seeded Louisville in the regional semifinal on Sunday, March
25 in Raleigh.
SENIOR MOMENT
• Texas A&M seniors
Kelsey Assarian, Sydney Carter, Adaora Elonu and Tyra White have each
played in 12 career NCAA Tournament games since their freshman campaign
in 2008-09. They are four of only 12 Aggies to have competed in every
game of four-straight NCAA Tournaments next to former standouts
Morenike Atunrase (2005-08), Patrice Reado (2005-08), A’Quonesia
Franklin (2005-08), Takia Starks (2006-09), Danielle Gant (2006-09), La
Toya Micheaux (2006-09), Damitria Buchanan (2007-10) and Sydney Colson
(2008-11).
QUICK HITS
• The Aggies turned in their
seventh consecutive 20-win season and their seventh straight 10-win
season in Big 12 Conference play under head coach Gary Blair.
• The
Aggies limited Iowa State (33) and Kansas State (36) to their lowest
point totals of the season and are the only team in the Big 12 to have
held two opponents to less than 40 points in conference play this year.
• Texas A&M finished the regular season tied for second place in the Big 12 standings with Oklahoma.
•
The Aggies lead the Big 12 by forcing their opponents into an average
of 20.3 turnovers per game, with a turnover margin of +5.5. The team
has a scoring margin of +8.4 and averages 16.1 offensive rebounds per
game which are both second-best in the Big 12.
• As of March 17, the
Aggies had the 13h-best turnover margin in the nation, while Kelsey
Bone held the 14th-best field goal percentage in the country at 53.4.
• Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Bone is second-best in the conference with her 53.4 field goal percentage.
NCAA FIRST ROUND RECAP
TEXAS A&M 69, ALBANY 47
POSTGAME NOTES
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For the 16th time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup
of Alexia Standish, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Kelsey
Bone…The Aggies are 11-5 with this starting lineup.
• Texas A&M improves to 1-0 in its first meeting with Albany.
•
The Aggies move to 16-7 all-time in NCAA postseason play in their ninth
all-time appearance. In addition, they have won seven straight NCAA
Tournament games.
• A&M is 7-2 all-time in the NCAA First Round
and has won six straight first-round games. In addition, the Aggies are
1-0 against the No. 14 seed.
• The Aggies are 19-2 when leading at the half.
• A&M snapped a 10-game winning streak for Albany.
• For just the seventh time this season, A&M made five or more 3-point field goals.
• The Aggies outscored the Great Danes 29-14 off turnovers.
• In the second half, A&M shot 55 percent from the floor and held Albany to just 28 percent.
• With three steals, Carter moved into ninth place on the all-time list with 201 steals.
• Elonu set a new A&M individual record for most games played with her 139th contest today.
•
White scored in double figures for the 26th time this season, Elonu for
the 21st time and Standish for the fifth, including three of the last
four games.
• White’s 18 points matched her NCAA Tournament career best and it was her eighth straight postseason game in double figures.
• Elonu’s three steals were an NCAA Tournament career best.
• Karla Gilbert had a season and NCAA Tournament career-best four blocked shots.
A&M’S LAST SEVEN
•
Over the last seven games, Texas A&M has gone 4-3, but has shot
nearly 46 percent from the floor and from beyond the arc. The Aggies
are led by Karla Gilbert’s 70 percent shooting (14-20), while Standish
has been lighting it up from 3-point range shooting 65.4 percent
(17-26) over last seven games.
AGGIE ASSISTS
• Adrienne
Pratcher and Sydney Carter are approaching the 100-assist mark for the
season. With 96 assists, Pratcher leads the team and is on the verge of
her first 100-assist season. Carter is second on the team with 94 and
is looking for her third consecutive 100-assist season.
STANDISH STARTING FRESH
•
Alexia Standish is only the fifth true freshman to start at point guard
in Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair’s nine seasons in Aggieland and
she has the second-most starts of that impressive group.
Name
Starts
Year
Adrienne Pratcher
1
2009-10
Sydney Carter
1
2008-09
Sydney Colson
2
2007-08
Alexia Standish
19
2011-12
A’Quonesia Franklin
28
2004-05
FROM THE SIDELINES
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Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is in his 27th overall season as a
Division I head coach. He currently ranks in the top 15 in career
victories (618) and in the top 25 by winning percentage (.710) among
active Division I coaches in the NCAA women’s basketball record books.
•
Blair is one of only four active Division I coaches (six all-time) to
lead three different programs to the NCAA Tournament next to 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).
• Arkansas head coach Tom Collen was an assistant coach under Blair at Arkansas in the late 1990’s.
•
Each of A&M’s four coaches spent time at Arkansas, Blair as head
coach from 1993-03, Vic Schaefer from 1997-03, Kelly Bond from 2000-03
and Johnnie Harris from 2004-07. Harris is a native of Pine Bluff, Ark.
•
Blair's wife, Dr. Nan Smith-Blair, is the director of nursing at the
University of Arkansas. The couple has two children, Paige and Matt,
and two grandchildren, Logan (8) and Lola (2). Paige owns a children's
boutique in Fayetteville, Ark., and is married to Beau Thompson, head
boys' basketball coach at Farmington High School in Farmington, Ark.
• While head coach at Arkansas, Blair led the program to its only Final Four in 1998. He had a record of 198-120 (.623).
WHITE EARNS ALL-REGION HONORS
•
Tyra White was among 52 all-region selections chosen by the Women's
Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). On, Monday, March 19, the
selection committee will review these candidates and trim the list to
40 finalists, all of whom will be in the running for selection to the
10-member WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team. White earned the
honor for the second straight season and was a WBCA All-America Team
Honorable Mention last season.
FIVE AGGIES EARN BIG 12 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ACCOLADES
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Kelsey Bone was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Tyra White was
selected to the All-Big 12 First Team. Sydney Carter was voted to the
All-Big 12 Second Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, and both Bone
and Adaora Elonu were named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Alexia
Standish earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
White
•
Against Albany on March 17, White moved into fourth place on A&M’s
career field goals list and currently has 597 field goals made. She is
30 field goals away from moving into third place.
• Against Albany
on March 17, White moved into A&M’s top 10 list for career rebounds
and currently has 585. She is 32 rebounds away from moving into ninth
place.
• Against Missouri on Feb. 14, White moved into seventh place
on A&M’s career points list and currently has 1,472 career points.
She is 34 points away from moving into sixth place.
Elonu
• Against Albany on March 17, Elonu moved into sixth place on the career rebounds list and currently has 716 boards.
•
Against Oklahoma on March 9, Elonu (84 career blocks, including an
individual season-best 35 this season) moved into ninth place in career
block shots. She is two blocks away from moving into the eighth place
on the all-time list.
• Against Oklahoma State on Jan. 24, Elonu became 25th A&M player to pass over 1,000 career points and currently has 1,167.
Carter
•
Against Albany on March 17, Carter moved into ninth place on the
all-time list with 201 steals. She is eight steals away from moving
into eight place.
• Against Kansas on Jan. 21, Carter became the 24th A&M player to pass over 1,000 career points and currently has 1,157.
• Carter holds the second-best career free-throw percentage (81.3).
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