The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
11-0
Rice
5-6
No. 3/3 Women’s Basketball finishes non-conference play undefeated
12.30.2014 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns defeat Rice on Tuesday, 77-54, to conclude non-conference play with an undefeated record for first time since 1985-86.
Box Score (PDF) | Notes | Quotes | Photo gallery
AUSTIN, Texas -- Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali managed a team-leading 14 points and 14 rebounds for her fifth-consecutive double-double, while junior guard Empress Davenport and freshman guard Brooke McCarty each contributed 13 points to help No. 3/3 Texas Women's Basketball (11-0) defeat Rice, 77-54, on Tuesday night at the Erwin Center.
The victory allowed the Longhorns to complete the non-conference regular season slate undefeated for the first time since Texas' 1985-86 team, which went on to become undefeated national champions (34-0). UT also equaled the 2008-09 Longhorns for the third-best start in program history and extended the program's home winning streak over unranked non-conference foes to 58.
Texas shot 47.7 percent from the floor (31-of-65) and limited Rice to just 28.0 percent shooting, the second-lowest opponent mark of the season (UT-Pan American – 27.9%), while winning the rebounding battle, 50-45.
Tonight's contest marked the first meeting between the Longhorns and Owls since Feb. 7, 1996, when both were members of the Southwest Conference.
Texas wasted no time taking early control, racing to a quick 9-0 lead as UT's defense forced six turnovers and held Rice without a point over the opening 4:39. Having entered the evening averaging just 1.8 points-per-game, junior guard Celina Rodrigo powered the Horns over the early going with five points by the initial media timeout.
The Longhorn advantage continued to expand over the next few minutes as an Enemkpali score, a steal and driving lay-in by sophomore forward Nekia Jones and a bucket from McCarty boosted the Burnt Orange & White advantage to 22-6 with 10:26 remaining in the first half.
Trailing by 20 points with 6:45 left in the opening stanza, Rice launched the long ball in an attempt to claw back into the contest. A 9-2 spurt, on the strength of a pair of Breion Allen three-pointers and a Courtney Brown triple, drew RU within 13 at 31-18.
That was as close as the Owls would get over the remainder of the first half. Texas ignited an 8-0 run on a Brianna Taylor jumper, buckets from both McCarty (nine first-half points) and Enemkpali and a pair of Davenport free throws in taking its largest lead of the game at 21 points before settling for a 40-22 halftime lead.
Immediately out of the locker room, Rice managed to cut its deficit to 14 on the strength of jumpers from Alyssa Lang, Jasmine Goodwine and Christal Porter. Texas again answered the Owl run, however, as consecutive Enemkpali buckets and a Davenport fast break lay-up extended the UT lead to 20 points at 48-28 with 15:18 remaining.
The closest Rice managed to get the rest of the way was 15 points at 48-33 with 13:30 left before UT began consistently pulling away.
A three-pointer from long distance by senior guard Krystle Henderson handed Texas its largest lead to that point at 65-43 with 6:53 on the clock.
From there UT maintained its firm grip on the match-up down the stretch as freshman guard Tasia Foman's jumper with 1:14 remaining finalized the Longhorns' 77-54 victory.
Third-ranked Texas will open its Big 12 Conference schedule on Saturday against Kansas in a 7 p.m. Central tipoff (Longhorn Network) at the Erwin Center.
• SERIES: Texas improves its all-time series lead against Rice to 33-1, including a 15-0 mark in Austin. Tuesday marked the first meeting between the in-state schools since the Southwest Conference era (Feb. 7, 1996).
• UNDEFEATED: Texas becomes the first Longhorn team since 1985-86 to finish non-conference regular season play with an undefeated record (11-0). The 1985-86 squad went on to become the first women's college basketball team to go undefeated and win the NCAA title (34-0). The 2014-15 Longhorns are the fourth team in program history to begin the season with a perfect 11-0 record (1979-80, 1985-86, 2008-09). UT's current 11-game winning streak is the longest under Coach Karen Aston.
• HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Texas improves to 22-2 at the Frank Erwin Center since last season, including an 8-0 mark at home this season. Texas has won 58 consecutive games against unranked non-conference opponents at home.
• ENEMKPALI's 5th STRAIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali recorded her fifth consecutive double-double on Tuesday with 14 points and 14 rebounds in 23 minutes. Enemkpali now has 27 career double-doubles, including six this season. Enemkpali already holds a program-record six consecutive double-doubles, which she set during the 2012-13 season.
• ENEMKPALI CAREER RECORDS: Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali moved to No. 34 in career points at Texas (1,055), passing Yvonne Anderson (2008-12; 1,047).
• TAYLOR'S FIRST CAREER START: Sophomore Brianna Taylor made her first career start, registering four points (2-6 FG), five rebounds and two assists.
• HATTIS MAKES DEBUT: Two-sport junior Sara Hattis made her season debut on Tuesday by recording three rebounds in four minutes of action. Hattis joined the team on Dec. 27 after helping Texas Volleyball to its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Final Four.
Head Coach Karen Aston
Head Coach Karen Aston
Opening Statement: First of all I'm really proud of our basketball team and that we could go throughout our non-conference play without a loss. Again, I understand it's a long season and we have a long way to go and with conference play we'll push the reset button when it comes to that on Saturday, but you can't discount that there has to be something special about a team that played the level of competition that we did in non-conference play and come out unscathed. I'm very proud of them. I didn't think it was our best performance tonight but I tried to play some people and get some people minutes. I really didn't want to play our starters a lot of minutes tonight. Brianna Taylor has been having to go in and out of positions because of injuries and I give her a lot of credit for being very unselfish about what we are asking her to do but I'm pleased to have some players come off the bench and do some good things.
On the reality of the 11-game winning streak: Our team is playing with a high level of confidence and that was developed from the work ethic of our older players. I think they set the tone from the very beginning.
On beginning conference play: As long as they keep doing what they've been doing I don't know why they would feel any different. I think in the beginning they had the bulls-eye and that was an adjustment for them in the very beginning almost before we ever even started playing a game. There was a little bit of a mindset change that happened really early and I think as we started playing they've been great about just going day to day and I can't imagine them doing anything different. I think they are highly motivated and I think that they are ready for whatever challenge comes.
On watching the team grow: They probably would not tell you that I'm a very patient person at all, but it's been fun to watch the older players really embrace what our vision was and embrace the work which was a lot and they do it every day now. There's never a question about whether our older players are going to come in and get to work. It's been fun to watch their transformation especially as far as confidence. They have so much confidence in themselves and each other.
On doubling every opponent the first half: They are mentally prepared. Its always back to them and its always about how they get themselves mentally prepared to play a game and they are locked-in during shoot around and when we warm up. It's the way they have trained its the way that we practice, so I don't think the game is that much different, it's probably a lot more fun for them because its not as long as practice is but they are very locked in.
Nneka Enemkpali (Senior, F)
On five straight double doubles: When we go out there and play its just fun. I don't take into consideration double-doubles or pressure of any sort. I just go out and have fun with my teammates.
On the upcoming conference season: We have to go into every game and just focus on that game individually. Coach has been really good about preparing us game by game and not letting us look forward to the next game. Through preparation we've been able to focus on individual aspects of our team that we need to focus on and I think that will carry onto conference as well.
On how far can the team go: At the beginning of the season we write down our goals of what we want to accomplish throughout the season and getting to Tampa is obviously the number one goal.
Brady Sanders (Junior, G)
On her role with the team: I just try and focus on what coach gives us. We have certain things we look for against each of our opponents and I just try and bring energy and play hard every day in practice and games. I just try and do the little things that sometimes go unnoticed but that's fine with me as long as our team wins that's all that matters.
On entering conference without a loss: Honestly when conference starts its a reset and preseason really doesn't matter all that much. Our conference is really competitive and it doesn't matter going into it that we are 11-0. It's something to be proud of and our team worked hard for that but now its time for us to refocus and we know that each conference game will be a battle.
On the journey to 11-0: I think Nneka and I have been here the longest so we've kind of been on this journey with Coach Aston. I'm confident about going to each practice every day and I know what is expected of me and to push my teammates because I know I can set an example. There are days when Nneka and I are both struggling and the younger ones help push us too so it's definitely an even balance. This journey hasn't been an easy one for either of us. It took learning and really buying into the system so it's really reassuring coming out with this season 11-0 and we know that all of these days when we put in long hard hours that its all paying off and that's when we realize that this isn't something that's been given to us. Our team has put in the work to be 11-0 right now.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
