The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
9-0
McNeese State
5-4
No. 3/3 Women’s Basketball defeats McNeese State, 76-59
12.17.2014 | Women's Basketball
Third-ranked Longhorns out-score the Cowgirls in the paint, 58-26, for ninth consecutive win.
Box Score (PDF) | Notes | Quotes | Photo Gallery
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali and sophomore center Kelsey Lang combined for 36 points on 74 percent shooting to guide No. 3/3 Texas Women's Basketball to a 76-59 win over McNeese State on Wednesday night.
Lang scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting with nine rebounds, while Enemkpali posted 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting with 14 rebounds for her third consecutive double-double. The Longhorns shot 50 percent from the floor and out-scored McNeese State in the paint, 58-26.
Texas led by 27 early in the second half, but McNeese State sliced the deficit to 10 at the midway point. Jayln Johnson shot McNeese State (5-4) back into the game, scoring 18 points in the first nine minutes after break. She finished with 20 points. Guard Allison Baggett led McNeese State with 22.
Sophomore guard Brianna Taylor stopped McNeese State's run with five straight points and finished with a career-high 14 points overall.
Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford played in nine minutes with four points and four rebounds during her first appearance of the season after recovering from surgery to reinforce her left tibia. McGee-Stafford averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season.
The third-ranked Longhorns return to action on Sunday, facing No. 4/5 Texas A&M in Little Rock, Arkansas during the SEC / Big 12 Challenge at 12:30 p.m. Central (SEC Network).
• Series: Texas now leads the all-time series with McNeese State 6-0 and 5-0 at the Frank Erwin Center. Coach Karen Aston earned her second career win over the Cowgirls on Wednesday.
• Undefeated: The Longhorns improve to 9-0, becoming the fourth team in program history to begin the season with a 9-0 record. UT's nine-game winning streak is the best start since beginning the 2008-09 season with an 11-0 record.
• No place like home: The Longhorns are now 7-0 at home this season and 21-2 at home over the past two years. Texas has won 57 consecutive non-conference games against unranked opponents.
• Points in the paint: The Horns outscored the Cowgirls in the paint, 58-26. The Longhorns improve their season average of points in the paint to 40.5-to-18.4. UT's 58 points in the paint are the most since scoring 60 against Sam Houston State last season.
• First half dominance: Texas led McNeese State at halftime, 44-19. UT has now led at halftime in all nine games and no opponent has scored more than 20 first-half points in seven home games this season.
• Off the bench: The Longhorns outscored McNeese State 27-10 off the bench. This 17 point advantage proved to be the final margin of victory for Texas.
• Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali registered her third consecutive double-double and 25th of her career with 18 points (9-13 FG) and 14 rebounds in 28 minutes. In the first half alone, Enemkpali scored 10 points with 12 rebounds. Enemkpali moved up on UT's all-time career scoring list to No. 35 with 1,020 career points, passing Tracy Cook (1998-02; 1,004) and Earnesia Williams (2005-10; 1,015).
• Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford played for the first time of the season after recovering from surgery to reinforce her left tibia in September. McGee-Stafford, who missed the first eight games, registered four points and four rebounds in nine minutes on Wednesday.
• Sophomore center Kelsey Lang finished one rebound shy of her first career double-double, scoring 18 points (8-10 FG) with nine rebounds in 28 minutes.
Head Coach Karen Aston
Opening Statement: It's a win, and we'll absolutely take it. I thought we just relaxed and got a little undisciplined in the second half, or a lot undisciplined for six or seven minutes. We let them get hot and start feeling really good about themselves. We just were undisciplined, that's the best thing I know to say about that. We need to get back to some better practice habits. I don't think we practiced very well yesterday and today was probably a reflection of that. So, we'll get back to the drawing board tomorrow and try and get better before we play [Texas] A&M.
On junior center Imani McGee-Stafford returning from her injury tonight: It's good to have her back. She's been back in practice for a week or so getting reps, and it's definitely good to have Imani back. I think she looks good, and the more the days go along she'll continue to get more confident.
On if she plans to play sophomore center Kelsey Lang and McGee-Stafford at the same time: Considering we have a highly competitive game on Sunday and then we go pretty quickly in to conference play, most games are about match ups anyway. So, if the match ups lend themselves to putting them together [I would do it]. I think Kelsey has advanced so much as a face-up player, and a defender to be quite honest with you. Last year the hesitation was really not about them offensively as much as it was who is going to guard a four player. Kelsey has really improved so dramatically defensively and mentally that I wouldn't be afraid to do that … it's fun to say we have a lot depth in the paint, because we do.
Kelsey Lang (Sophomore, C)
On McGee-Stafford coming back: It's great to have her back. I've said in the past, her being on the sideline -- she was a great coach for me. Now, I am able to watch her and how she plays again. I think it doesn't really change anything about how I'm approaching the game, but I think that it just makes us as a team so much harder to guard.
Brianna Taylor (Sophomore, G)
On getting the team back into rhythm once McNeese State cut the lead down in the second half: Like coach said, we got really undisciplined on defense. So, I knew I had to go in and play solid and do what I think I do best, which is get out in the passing lanes and anticipate. [I needed to] just play solid. I was just really focused on going in there and rebounding like coach said because we didn't really have anybody rebounding at the guard position. I was just trying to make a conscious effort to go in there, box out and rebound.
Imani McGee-Stafford (Junior, C)
On if she feels confident returning from injury: Yes, I think it was all mental. That's what me and coach talked about, just getting my mind prepared and back in game mode.
On the team having such a strong start to the season: It's nice to see that we are [doing well]. We've worked hard enough up to this point. I think coach has really instilled in us her mindset and her system, and everyone really bought in. This is us reaping the benefits. I don't want to say we've reaped the benefits yet, but we are in the right direction to.
McNEESE STATE
Head Coach Brooks Donald-Williams
On the team rallying: We did I was really proud of our girls. I thought they really went into a big environment for a large stage for our second time this year and responded very differently. Our first outing against Texas A&M we didn't do so well and I thought we went into a tougher environment against Texas and Karen has done such a fantastic job and such a talented team and really tough defensively and I thought the girls responded really well and battled.
On the key to success: In the second half, yes, I think we fed off some energy the second half and thought that we got some good defensive stops that really got us going offensively and I think Jayln Johnson really got us going. When Jayln gets hot she gives another offensive punch for us and Jayln did that tonight there's no doubt about it. She got us going and was a big part of that run and she really helped take a little pressure off Allison Baggett and I thought that was big key.
On Texas and Texas A&M playing each other: I think it'll be a fantastic game, such a big rivalry and both programs are so tough and so good and no doubt both of them are really hot right now and I think it'll be a great match up. Of course both teams going back to Arkansas and playing in a big challenge game, I think it'll be a great contest for women's basketball and for the game.
