The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
11-0
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UTEP
6-6
Women's Basketball eases past UTEP, 79-40
12.28.2008 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2008
Box Score [PDF]
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Texas coach Gail Goestenkors was worried about her team being rusty after a 10-day layoff.
The fourth-ranked Longhorns quickly eased their coach's concerns with a 79-40 rout of Texas El Paso on Sunday in the Surf 'N Slam Classic.
Kathleen Nash scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half and Ashley Lindsey added 12 points for Texas (11-0), which continued its best start since the 1985-86 team finished 34-0 to win the national title. The Longhorns played their first game since beating Arizona State (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, No. 24 AP) on Dec. 18.
"I was very concerned," Goestenkors said. "We had a couple of practices out here and hadn't done a great job. But overall, I was very pleased."
The Longhorns will face host San Diego State in Tuesday night's championship game after the Aztecs beat Sacramento State 75-47.
Texas used stifling defense to jump out to a 14-2 lead as it held the Miners to one field goal in the first 7 1/2 minutes. The Longhorns, who held a 47-22 halftime lead, limited UTEP to 30 percent shooting in the first half.
"We had outstanding pressure on every pass and I think the pressure bothered them," Goestenkors said.
The Miners were even worse in the second half, hitting just 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from the field, to finish the game at 24.5 percent. UTEP went 3-for-19 from 3-point range.
"When you take time off, it's hard to get back the intensity," said Earnesia Williams, who had nine points and eight rebounds. "We pride ourselves on defense and rebounding. Our pressure on defense definitely hurt them."
Briana Green scored 12 points to lead UTEP (6-6) and Dietra Caldwell added 10.
"Texas is a terrific team, one of the top teams in the country," UTEP coach Keitha Adams said. "I won't be surprised to see them in the Final Four."
Nash, coming off a career high 27-point game when she set a school record by hitting all 12 free throws, went 4-for-4 from the line and has made 26 consecutive free throws.
"We came out with a lot of intensity," Nash said. "We executed our plays really well and it made things easy."
Texas remains one of six undefeated teams in the Top 25.
"I think we are in a good place," Goestenkors said. "We got good play out of our post players tonight. Earnesia and Ashley gave us good minutes."
The Longhorns held a 48-26 rebounding edge, led by Kristen Nash's nine, and made 22-of-23 free throws compared to 7-of-8 for the Miners.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas held UTEP scoreless until the 14:44 mark in the first half while starting off a 10-2 run.
- Texas improved to 11-0 on the season for the third time in school history and the first time since the 1985-86 season.
- Texas improved to 2-0 all-time against UTEP.
- Texas outscored UTEP 28-6 in the first 13:43 of the second half (6:17 left in the game).
- Texas limited UTEP to 26.3% from the field (15-of-57) and 18.8% from beyond the arc (3-of-16).
- UT's 47-22 halftime advantage was its second 25-point halftime lead of the season (52-27 vs. Furman, Nov. 23).
- UT has led at the half in 10 games this season.
- UT shot a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line in the first half.
- UT shot a season-high 95.7 percent (22-of-23) from the free-throw line.
- The Longhorns held a 48-26 rebounding edge.
- UT also held a 15-3 edge over UTEP on second-chance points.
Ashley Lindsey
- Recorded a game-high two blocks...has posted at least two blocks in nine-straight games.
- Recorded 12 points for her fifth double-digit scoring effort of the season.
- Scored 10 or more points 30 times in her career.
Kathleen Nash
- Recorded a game-high 15 points (5-of-10 FG, 1-of-3 3FG, 4-of-4 FT)...13 of which came in the first half.
- Scored eight of the Horns' first 14 points of the game.
- Registered ninth double-digit scoring effort of the season.
- Scored 10 or more points for the 20th time in her career.
- Led the Horns in points for the third time this season and sixth time of her career.
- Has connected on her last 26 free-throw attempts over a span of five games (last miss was her final FT attempt against Georgia Tech on Nov. 29).
Earnesia Williams
- Pulled down six rebounds in the first 8:43 of the game (five defensive, one offensive).
- Recorded a season-high eight rebounds (five defensive, three offensive).
Kristen Nash
- Recorded a career-high nine rebounds (six defensive, three offensive).
- Was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Brittainey Raven
- Tied her career-high with an 8-of-8 performance from the free-throw line.
