The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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Mississippi State
No. 6 Women's Basketball preview vs. Mississippi State [Dec. 2, 2015]
12.01.2015 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Bulldogs meet in top-10 matchup at Frank Erwin Center.
No. 6/6 Texas Longhorns (5-0) vs. No. 9/9 Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-0)
Location: Austin, Texas | Frank Erwin Center (16,540)
Time: Wednesday, December 2, 2015 | 7 p.m. CT
TV: Longhorn Network (Fran Harris, Nell Fortner)
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn (Roger Wallace, Kathy Harston)
Tickets | Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio | WatchESPN
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 6/6 Texas will face its second top-10 opponent in four days, as the Longhorns play host to No. 9/9 Mississippi State on Wednesday. Tip-off in the Frank Erwin Center is slated for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be carried live on Longhorn Network.
The contest marks the annual "Orange Santa" game. Donate a new, unwrapped toy to benefit those in need throughout Central Texas. Orange Santa began in 1994 as a program designed to foster a more caring university environment by providing help for members of the university community who have special needs during the holiday season. In December 2014, Orange Santa served 316 families, including 957 children.
After the game, fans are invited down to the court for a 10-minute autograph session with the team. In addition, all UT-Austin students with a valid UT ID will receive half-off all concessions at Wednesday's game, excluding alcohol.
"We have tremendous fans," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "The crowd makes the difference. I would really love for our student body to get involved. I encourage the people in the community and our student body to get out and see our team play."
The Longhorns (5-0) are coming off a 64-53 victory against then-No. 4/5 Tennessee in Knoxville on Sunday. The win snapped the Lady Vols' 27-game home winning streak. For her performances last week, freshman guard Lashann Higgs - who had a career-high 18 points against Tennessee - was named the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Week after averaging 15.0 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game combined against Hampton and the Lady Vols.
"It is another step in our program and another step for this team, in particular, because last year we went on a little bit of a run and we didn't handle things very well," Aston said. "I don't think we handled the rankings well last year. Rankings don't mean anything. It is fun to talk about tomorrow being a top-10 match up but everyone knows it is early and they don't mean a whole lot. The thing is that it is a long season. This all gets erased in January when conference play starts and we just have to learn how to show up everyday. I think that is the main thing for Texas to just learn how to compete at high-level everyday."
Senior center Imani Boyette leads four Texas players averaging double-figure scoring with 12.8 points per game and a team-high 9.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty follows with 12.4 points per game, while Higgs adds 11.0 points per game. Junior Brianna Taylor is averaging 10.4 points per game.
As a team, Texas leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (47.6) and scoring margin (+30.2).
Texas and Mississippi State meet for the third time in the history of the two programs. The all-time series is tied 1-1. The two teams last met on November 26, 2009, which resulted in a 73-55 win for Texas.
The Bulldogs enter Wednesday's game with a 5-0 record, having defeated Norfolk State and Savannah State over the weekend. Mississippi State has won its last 26 regular-season contests. Victoria Vivians has scored 20-plus points in three of her last four games. In that four-game stretch, she is averaging 20.8 points per game. Teaira McCowan was named SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 15.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in last week's three wins.
QUICK NOTES
- The all-time series between Texas and Mississippi State is tied 1-1.
- Texas ranks sixth in all-time victories by NCAA Division I institutions with 986. Just three teams in the history of the sport have achieved 1,000 wins - Tennessee (1,282), Louisiana Tech (1,062), and James Madison (1,022). The Longhorns are one of only 13 programs nationally to have eclipsed the all-time 900-win plateau.
- Texas senior Imani Boyette joins UConn's Breanna Stewart are the only two active players in NCAA Division I basketball to have scored more than 1,000 career points and have swatted more than 200 career blocks.
- Next up, Texas travels to Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday to face the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT.
PRE-GAME QUOTES
Texas Head Coach Karen Aston
"More than anything - not necessarily because it was Tennessee, although it was fun to beat them - the biggest thing was that it was a road win. We were not great on the road last year and that it one of the things that our team has talked about a lot. They've talked about being a little bit tougher mentally on the road and I thought we accomplished some of that on Sunday."
On how Texas is responding better to big wins this season …
"I think we will have some of the answers to that on Wednesday because one of the things we have talked about is being a little bit more on an even keel. Yes, that was a good win and big win but Wednesday's game will be just as tough if not tougher. You are talking about an opponent that is leading in national [statistical] categories- scoring, team defense, turnover margin. They come in here with some really gaudy statistics, so if we don't stay on an even keel, we will be disappointed tomorrow night."
On what she saw in her team from Sunday's game at Tennessee …
"I think their focus was really good. We had a specific game plan on how we were going to defend them, how we were going to attack them offensively, and I thought, in particular, for three quarters of the game we did a really great job of that. We lost a bit of our focus mid-way through the third quarter. We starting fouling a little and then possibly fatigue set in a little bit late in the game I think for both teams. I think it got sloppy but I do think, for the most part, they were very focused on the game plan."
On her confidence in senior guard Celina Rodrigo …
"I have confidence in a four-year starter. Celina has been through the really rough times here and times realistically we just threw her to the wolves as young point guard. She now has the opportunity to really feel good about herself just from a perspective that she has put work in. She has great deal of experience down the stretch of all of the those games throughout the years. She is a confident player and I am very confident in her."
On Lashann Higgs' 18-point performance against Tennessee …
"Lashann did what really Lashann does. I would say what probably caught Tennessee off guard a little bit was the two threes that she hit in the first half. I think that made them a little anxious about how to guard her because, if you pick your poison against her, I think most people would let her shoot. But her ability to get to the foul line and ability to penetrate and get out in transition is definitely something we look forward to when she gets in the game and something that she is really good at."
On Texas' strong bench play …
"I think that is the area that we are the most improved in. Obviously we have some players that are still trying to get back in the flow after some off-season injuries and surgeries, but I think that the one thing that you look at about our team right now that we haven't been able to say in a few years is that we do have some guard depth and we have addressed that in recruiting. We have some players that stayed here for four years and now they are seniors so we have a lot of combinations we get put together at the guard position. It enables us to play against teams with different lineups and give people different looks."
On Texas' team chemistry …
"I think this team has really good team chemistry. Something I have noticed right off the bat when we started practicing was that they really care about each other. They get along off the court really well. They are a fun group to be around."
On handling pressure that comes with having success against top-10 teams …
"It is another step in our program and another step for this team, in particular, because last year we went on a little bit of a run and we didn't handle things very well. I don't think we handled the rankings well last year. Rankings don't mean anything. It is fun to talk about tomorrow being a top-10 match up but everyone knows it is early and they don't mean a whole lot. The thing is that it is a long season. This all gets erased in January when conference play starts and we just have to learn how to show up everyday. I think that is the main thing for Texas to just learn how to compete at high-level everyday."
Senior Guard Celina Rodrigo
On improvements after the Tennessee game …
"We are focusing on one of our goals after last year about not getting too high and not getting too low in the wins and losses. It was a great win and we want to focus on Mississippi State."
On biggest takeaway from the Tennessee win …
"I think it was just a good win. We need a lot of road wins. That is one of our team goals: to be a great team on the road. I think it was a nice one to get under our belt because it is not easy to play there. It's a great environment, and a nice early win to get on the road to boost our confidence for the conference games."
On improvements she has made this season …
"Coach has definitely helped me out. She has given us the free reign to be more aggressive and she wants us to score more. It's a combination of another year under my belt, this is my last year, and doing anything that the team needs me to do. I think it has really been working out this year so far."
On freshman Lashann Higgs' team-leading performance against Tennessee …
"I am so proud of her. She came out really aggressive and looking to score. That's what she does - she is a scorer. I am just really proud of how she played, how she doesn't get down on herself, and continues to let the game come to her and not try to do too much."
On the mentality of the Texas team this year …
"We are trying to take it one game at a time. Of course, we have the Tennessee game marked off our calendar. It's a matter now of focusing on the next one and not getting hung up on such a great win. We have a lot of games coming up that are just as important.
Sophomore Guard Brooke McCarty
On gaining confidence from the win against Tennessee …
"I think after that game we know where we are. That's our starting point that we need to keep building on for the season."
On what the team learned from the win against Tennessee …
"I think we really figured out our team chemistry. I feel like in the Tennessee game we played as a team and stuck together the whole time. That's what got us the win. We knew that we had some team chemistry but going into the further games we know that when we stick together we will be successful."
On the difference this year versus last year:
"Since last year, we know now what to except and how to handle everything. I think last year took us for a loop, kind of like, "Oh, we are good." This year that's an expectation."
On Lashann Higgs performance against Tennessee …
"I wasn't surprised. She is a scorer. She has that mentality that she can score, so going out there I feel like if she can do that, that's expected of her. Every game going in, I know she can do anything to get us going. One score for her and she gets going. I have played with her ever since AAU, so I know what to expect from Lashann."
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