The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
5-0
Furman
3-1
Women's Basketball routs Furman, 105-51
11.23.2008 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Kathleen Nash and Brittainey Raven each scored 22 points to lead No. 14 Texas to a 105-51 win over Furman on Sunday.
Nash was 5-of-9 from 3-point range and 5-on-6 on free throws, while Raven went 8-of-10 from the field.
The Longhorns (5-0) led 52-27 at halftime and pushed the lead to 80-37 in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Ashley Gayle, a 6-foot-4 post, had seven of Texas' 12 blocks, and the Longhorns forced 20 turnovers.
Melissa Liebschwager led Furman (3-1) with 14 points.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas scored 100+ points for the 60th time in its 35-year history and second time this season.
- Texas improved to 16-3 (.842) at home under Gail Goestenkors.
- Texas improved to 5-0 on the season for the 12th time in school history and the first time since the 2003-04 season.
- Texas led 52-27 at the half, marking its largest halftime lead of the season (25 points).
- The Longhorns shot a season-high 63.5% from the field (40-of-63).
- The last time Texas shot 60% or better from the field was on Nov. 25, 2004, against Tennessee in Austin (60.4%; 29-of-48).
- Texas held its opponent to less than 30 percent from the field for the third time this season (Dayton - 28.0%, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - 25.4%, Furman - 27.1%).
- Texas' 54-point margin of victory was its largest since last defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 87-36, on Nov. 20, 2008 in Austin.
- The Longhorns have won 30 of their last 38 home contests, including their last six games.
- Texas improved to 1-o all-time against Furman.
- Texas recorded double-digit blocks (12) for the second-consecutive game after totaling just 10 blocks over its first three contests.
- The Longhorns connected on a season-high nine 3-pointers.
- All 11 Longhorns saw action for the fourth time this season.
- Texas has outscored its opponents 446-247 in its first five contests of the season.
- Five Longhorns scored in double-digits (Earnesia Williams - 10; Kathleen Nash - 22; Brittainey Raven - 22; Erika Arriaran - 10; Ashley Lindsey - 10) for the second time this season.
Erika Arriaran
- Set a career-high with eight rebounds...pulled down five in the first 10 minutes of the game.
- Was 4-of-7 from the field, including two from beyond the arc for 10 points... collected her third double-digit scoring effort of the season.
Brittainey Raven
- Recorded her fourth-straight double-digit scoring effort with season-high 22 points (8-of-10 FG, 0-of-1 3FG, 6-of-8 FT), one point shy of career-high (23)...also added four assists, tying her season high, and two steals.
Ashley Lindsey
- Registered a team-high three steals and added three blocks.
- Was one of five Longhorns to score in double-digits with 10 points (5-of-6 FG)...second double-digit scoring effort of the season.
Ashley Gayle
- Recorded career-high seven blocks, leading the team in that category for the second-straight game.
- Pulled down career-high six rebounds while going a perfect 3-of-3 from the field for six points.
Carla Cortijo
- Scored a season-high eight points (3-of-4 FG, 0-of-1 3FG, 2-of-2 FT)...added team-high seven assists.
Kathleen Nash
- Posted her fourth-straight double-digit scoring effort with 22 points... was one of five Horns to reach double-digit scoring.
- Set a career-high with five three-pointers.
Earnesia Williams
- Was one of five Horns to score in double-figures as she tied her season-high of 10 points (4-of-6 FG, 1-of-1 3FG, 1-of-2 FT)...fourth 10-point output of the season.
TEXAS QUOTES
HEAD COACH Gail Goestenkors
Opening statement: I do think this was the most complete game of the season offensively and defensively. I felt like as team we were all on the same page. Defensively we had an attack mind set. We defended very, very well. Furman is an excellent 3-point shooting team. They started out hot, but we adjusted and I think our defensive was really exceptional overall tonight. Our offense had 25 assists and that is what I am most proud of. I think we did a good job of sharing the ball and having both an inside and outside attack. I thought this was a complete game for everyone involved.
On why her teams has so many assists: As a coach my teams have always been in top five in the nation in assists and that is something we really stress, teamwork and making the extra pass and getting the best shot possible. It is part of my philosophy. They get along so well, we don't have any selfish players because they want to share the ball.
On the blocks: I think we have been on Ashley [Lindsey] early on because she was trying to block every shot. We told her she needed to stay at home more. She couldn't go wondering around trying to block every shot. I think she has done a better job staying at home, but the blocks are still there. I think Ashley Gayle is just beginning to feel more comfortable in our system, so she ended up with four or five today, so we are going to have to work a little bit. I don't want them going for every block because we want them in the game.
On the freshmen: You never know with freshmen how they are going to respond. We thought they would help us. I really am pleased because they are helping us more than I anticipated. They haven't been playing like freshman. We know we have a really tough stretch coming up, Georgia Tech who we play next. They gave UConn all they can handle on their home court, so that is going to be a tough test for us.
SOPHOMORE GUARD Kathleen Nash
On her three-pointers: I think that our team did a great job executing our plays, so the three I had were wide open.
SENIOR FORWARD Ashley Lindsey
On running in practice: We run a lot, but it is for us to get better and for us not be so tired. We run if we miss free throws and if we turn the ball over we run.
FURMAN QUOTES
HEAD COACH SAM DIXON
Opening statement: It was one of those games where coming into it, you know, I'm watching it on tape and I'm thinking wow they have what I call SAQ, size, ability and quickness. Because of those three things they were going to really cause us problems offensively in terms of executing our offense and they did. I think that we'll learn some things from this but that is a really really fine basketball team and they're going to give a lot of people a lot of problems.
I think that our team will continue to grow and get better. I think it was a good game for us to play and get some kind of gauge on what we need to do. And it was a good opportunity for number 44, Katie Johnson to play a little bit closer to home. We kind of try to do that in our program because we have to recruit from a distance.
On Texas' quickness and speed: They were everywhere. It seemed like there was 10 of them out there every time we tried to pass the basketball. They're length is really hard, we can't simulate their length. We can't simulate their quickness in practice so that adds an added dimension when you're trying to execute offensively.
They were able to get into us and create us to play what I call lateral side-to-side and we never got into any kind of rhythm of attacking the basket. I thought we did some good things, we did get some post feeds and some dribble-drives but they were so inconsistent that it really put pressure on our defense.
