The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Hampton
No. 8 Women's Basketball preview vs. Hampton [Nov. 25, 2015]
11.24.2015 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Lady Pirates tip off at 7 p.m. CT on Longhorn Network.
No. 8/8 Texas Longhorns (3-0) vs. Hampton (0-4)
Location: Austin, Texas | Frank Erwin Center (16,540)
Time: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 | 7 p.m. CT
TV: Longhorn Network (Fran Harris, Nell Fortner)
Radio: 105.3 FM (Craig Way, Kathy Harston)
Tickets | Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio | WatchESPN
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 8/8 Texas plays host to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member Hampton on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT in the Frank Erwin Center. The game will be televised nationally on Longhorn Network.
The Longhorns are 3-0 for the fourth consecutive season and are meeting Hampton (0-4) for the second time in program history. In the only other meeting between the two schools, Texas defeated Hampton 90-46 on March 23, 2003 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio, en route to an NCAA Final Four appearance.
Texas is coming off a 70-47 win at Rice this past Saturday, a game in which the Longhorns overcame a six-point first-quarter deficit to earn their first road victory of the season. Junior Brianna Taylor scored a career-high 19 points to go along with eight rebounds to lead the way for Texas.
Senior Imani Boyette enters Wednesday's game with 996 career points. She needs just four more points to reach 1,000 for her collegiate career. Thirty-seven women in Texas history have achieved the 1,000-point milestone.
Texas currently leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense (44.3 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (.288) and turnover margin (+9.7).
Hampton is opening the season on a five-game road trip that concludes Wednesday night in Austin. The Lady Pirates return eight players from a year ago, including two starters. Hampton returns junior wing Malia Tate-DeFreitas, who averaged 21.3 points per game this season and has more than 1,300 points in her career. She is the reigning MEAC Player of the Year.
QUICK NOTES
- Texas ranks sixth all-time in NCAA Division I women's basketball history with 984 wins. The Longhorns are one of only 13 programs nationally to have eclipsed the 900-victory plateau. Texas is looking to join the exclusive club of three teams who have achieved the 1,000-win milestone.
- The Longhorns lead the all-time series with Hampton, 1-0.
- As a team last season, Texas averaged 16.3 turnovers per game and lost the turnover margin by -1.3. Through three games this season, the Longhorns are averaging 12.3 turnovers per game and are winning the turnover margin +9.7, which currently leads the Big 12 Conference.
- Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty is off to a strong start so far this season. She is averaging a squad-best 16.0 points per game, including a career-high 22 in the season opener against UTSA. She also has made a team-high eight three-pointers, averaging a team-high 29.7 minutes per game.
- Next up, Texas travels to Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 4 Tennessee at 1:30 p.m. CT on Sunday.
PRE-GAME QUOTES
Texas Head Coach Karen Aston
"From our standpoint, we look back at the Rice game and definitely think there are some areas that we need to improve on. From a day-to-day basis, we are trying to get better as a basketball team, and we are trying to get some of these players that missed some time over the summer back into game shape and game mode. There are a lot of things, when you look at on film, we could have been a lot better at, so yesterday and today we are really focusing on ourselves and trying to get better. Today, will be a little more preparation for Hampton, but if we are looking at the long haul of this season, we need to get better as a basketball team."
On the advantage of Texas' size …
"I think it is a help because you know teams sometimes go into the game with a game plan to double team or, for example, play a zone, and so what you start to do is shoot really quick when you could get that same shot working inside out and possibly more than anything get a chance to rebound. Right now that's part of our issue - our shot selection is not creating offensive opportunities on the boards."
On the performance expected from senior Imani Boyette this season …
"She is in her last season. That always makes a difference for a senior when they wake up on that September morning and it's the last go around. I think that most seniors have a sense of urgency that you don't quite understand until you are there. It's probably more that. She is healthier than she has ever been. She is projected to play a whole season, which she has never done. So I think all those things come into play, but I also thing that it's the reality that she is a senior."
On the performance of the Texas guards during the Rice game …
"They created opportunities for us to get out in the open floor. [Rice] picked our defense up, which was terrible to start the game. A lot of credit goes to Rice. You look across the country and there are upsets almost every day. They are teams that on paper are not even close to being able to beat someone and it's happening. Our conversations yesterday were more about what kind of approach we are taking to the game, and not necessarily what are opponents are doing to us, but what is our mentality. Right now, it's not where it's supposed to be."
Senior center Imani Boyette
On the importance of basketball on her life …
"Basketball has always been a tool for me. I grew up around basketball. It wasn't ever something that I didn't know. I was never been introduced to basketball; my entire family plays basketball. It's just what we do. Being around the collegiate game and not being able to contribute lately [due to injury], I just wanted it more. Last year was very much a growing year for me, in every aspect on and off the court."
On her mindset following a difficult game against Rice …
"I just didn't have a very good game. Period. There is nothing else to really say about it. Rice did a really good job getting me into foul trouble early. Kudos to them. I just never really got it going offensively. I can't really afford to have those types of games for my team. My team needs me to do certain things at every game and I can't afford not to do them. I just need to be more focused and to make sure I contribute to my team and do the things I am supposed to."
On the camaraderie of this year's team …
"Last year, even though we had the same players, it was just a different dynamic in terms of what we could do. Last year, we struggled with shooting a lot. We worked on that this year, so we have been shooting better. But we also haven't played any top-25 teams yet, so I don't think we can say that we are better or worse until we do that."
On getting off to a fast start in games …
"For me, if I get a couple rebounds, then I am good. That's how I test myself and get into the groove. Last game, I had four rebounds the entire game, so obviously I didn't get a couple rebounds early and so I didn't get it going. For my team, when I am confident and doing things, I go up a lot more and we can all get going. We just want to make sure we are ready to play from the jump."
