The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
6-1
Louisiana-Monroe
2-7
Texas Women's Basketball runs past Louisiana-Monroe, 77-49
12.11.2012 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2012
Stats | | Box Score 
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Women's Basketball team toppled the University of Louisiana-Monroe, 77-49, on Tuesday night at the Frank Erwin Center.
Redshirt freshman Brady Sanders posted a career-high scoring effort and freshman Imani McGee-Stafford recorded the third double-double of her career to lead the Longhorns to victory against the Warhawks. Sanders scored 15 points, 11 of them in the second half, while McGee-Stafford contributed 11 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds.
The first half of play was marked by an abundance of fouls with both teams combining for 29. A total of 37 free throws were shot in the first half; Texas made 11-of-15 and ULM sank just 11-of-22. Texas held the Warhawks to 16.1 percent from the field with Monroe making just five of its first 31 field goal attempts. The Longhorns headed into the locker room leading 35-21.
Texas came out running in the second half and quickly expanded its lead. The Longhorns outscored ULM 26-12 in the paint and 12-0 off fast break runs during the final stanza.
UT also benefited from season-high scoring performances from freshman Empress Davenport (11 points) and Celina Rodrigo (six) and junior Anne Marie Hartung (eight). Senior Cokie Reed contributed a season-high nine rebounds.
Tyler Holley led Louisiana-Monroe with 14 points. Alexar Tugler chipped in 10.
The Longhorns will face their second ranked opponent in three contests when Tennessee visits the Erwin Center on Sunday, Dec. 16 for a 1 p.m. Central matchup. The game will be broadcast on FSN.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head coach Karen Aston
Opening statement: Anytime you win a game, you don't want to discount that- it's a win. It was probably an ugly win, but it is a win. With this young basketball team, we will take every one that we can get. I think the first half we had a bit of a hangover from the UCLA game. I think it was probably a little bit shocking to the young players to be in that environment and lose the way that we did and not have any better performance. So to come back from that so quickly with very little preparation really for this game because we looked mostly at the game on Saturday. I thought it took us a half to make some adjustments mentally. I was pleased with our bench tonight; that is the biggest thing I want to say. I thought the bench came to play, gave us better energy and that is something that we are going to have to continue to focus on. I think we are a much better team when our bench plays well.
On Brady Sander's comeback from neck surgery: First of all, Brady has some mental toughness, because she really had another setback that caused her not be in off-season conditioning this summer. For her to have entered into fall workouts without the base last year or this summer is [remarkable]. You can't really tell that she didn't because she has some intangibles, which are heart and the ability to push through some things. The thing that you have to keep remembering and I have to remind myself about her all the time is that she is just a freshman. She didn't play at all last year or go through practice. I'm sure from an observation standpoint she learned something, but I've learned that unless they are going through it then they don't learn a whole lot. She is another freshman. I looked out there tonight and at ne point said, `ok we've got four freshmen' and that has been almost consistent the last couple of games. With her, I think if she can just figure out what she can do to help our basketball team and not try to do too much. There is a role that she will play this year and if she can figure that out, then she will be very valuable to this team. Again, if she continues to do what she is doing, her role will change. Right now, I think the more she can figure that out, the more valuable she can be.
On how much of an impact Chelsea Bass and Chassidy Fussell make now that you are playing without them: We have four freshmen that we are playing on the floor. We either have three or four freshmen out there. If we don't have three or four then we have a couple of junior college [players]. Without them, you don't have any experience at the guard position at all. I'm sure I am going to get a few more gray hairs if we keep throwing them out there, but it is for the future. It is a great thing. They are going to keep getting better and they are going to learn. They don't realize how valuable this experience is for them. All freshmen do not get to play this many minutes. It is going to be good for us down the road.
On playing Tennessee without Coach Pat Summitt: I know their staff really well. Honestly, I know this is a big game to us and a huge game for our fans. We should have a great crowd. It is always one that the high school coaches want to come to. It is a really fun game to coach and play in from my experience here before. Quite honestly for this team in particular in this moment for us, we have got to start playing better basketball. That is really all I am concerned about. It will be a fun game to play in no question, but my concern is that we start playing better. We start playing more competitively on the defensive end and just play cleaner basketball.
Freshman G Brady Sanders
On if she feels like herself out there yet: I am just really glad that we got a W. I didn't even know how many points I ended up with until they showed me the stat sheet. Really, all I noticed was that I had five turnovers. I think that comes from what [coach] said about finding my role and not trying to do too much. It definitely felt good. My shot felt good, because I know in the last couple of games I have been nervous and hesitant to shoot. It kind of felt like my old self, but I am still trying to find my role on this team.
Senior G Nadia Taylor
On feeling more comfortable playing basketball: I think each game I get a little more comfortable. In practice, I am trying to figure out my role and bring as much energy as I can off the bench I am just trying to help the young guys out and helping them stick to what coach says.
On how difficult it was to build a rhythm with 33 fouls called against Texas: I think it is part of the game. Some games are more clean, but we worked through it and got the W. It could have been a faster pace game, but I thought we all worked through it.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM NOTES
-Texas is now 7-0 all-time against Louisiana-Monroe ... the Longhorns last met the Warhawks on Feb. 28, 1998, in Austin, winning 91-61.
-The Longhorns dominated the Warhawks on the boards (55-33) ... Texas has outrebounded each of its seven opponents this season.
-Texas also controlled ULM in points in the paint (36-22), points off turnovers (25-15) and fast-breakpoints (14-0).
-The Longhorns out-shot the Warhawks from the field, .450 (27-of-60) to .246 (14-of-57).
-UT committed 33 team fouls, tied for second by a Texas team in a single game all-time.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Brady Sanders
-Scored a team-leading and season-high 15 points (5-of-9 FG, 5-of-5 FT) for the first double-digit scoring effort of her career.
Imani McGee-Stafford
-Tallied the third double-double of her career with 11 points (3-of-6 FG, 5-of-10 FT) and a team-leading 11 rebounds.
Cokie Reed
-Reached double-figure scoring (14 points; 4-of-9 FG, 6-of-8 FT) for the fourth time this season and 24th time in her career.
-Pulled down a season-high nine rebounds
Empress Davenport
-Scored a season-high 11 points (5-of-10 FG, 1-of-1 FT)
Anne Marie Hartung
-Recorded a season-high eight points (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-4 FT) in 19 minutes of play.
Celina Rodrigo
-Posted a season-high six points (2-of-4 FG, 1-of-2 3FG, 1-of-2 FT).
Nadia Taylor
-Sank her first field goal in a Longhorn uniform at the 11:15 mark of the second half.
