The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Kansas State *
No. rv/25 Women's Basketball preview: K-State [Feb. 18, 2015]
02.17.2015 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns host K-State in the annual 'Horns for Hope: Shoot for a Cure' game.
Game 25: #rv/25 TEXAS (16-8, 5-8) vs. Kansas State (15-9, 5-8)
Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 18 | 7 p.m. Central
Site: Austin, Texas | Frank Erwin Center (16,540)
TV: Longhorn Network - Fran Harris (play-by-play), Nell Fortner (analyst), Tyler Denning (reporter)
Radio: KVET 1300 or TexasSports.com - Craig Way (play-by-play), Kathy Harston (analyst)
Live Stats: TexasSports.com
Tickets: TexasSports.com/tickets or 512-471-3333
HORNS FOR HOPE: SHOOT FOR A CURE
• Texas Athletics is hosting its annual Horns for Hope: Shoot for a Cure during Wednesday's game against K-State.
• Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support breast cancer awareness and education.
• Coach Karen Aston is a member of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board of Directors.
TEXAS-KANSAS STATE SERIES
• The Longhorns and Wildcats are meeting for the 30th time in series history on Wednesday.
• Texas holds a 15-14 advantage in the all-time series, including a 9-3 mark in Austin. The Longhorns have won the last two games against K-State at the Erwin Center.
• K-State won the first meeting of the season on Feb. 4 in Manhattan, 66-57, behind eight 3-pointers (25 points) from Kindred Wesemann. Ariel Atkins led UT with 18 points.
• Texas is 3-3 against K-State under Coach Karen Aston.
• The all-time series dates back to a 93-73 Texas victory on Dec. 11, 1982 in Austin.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Texas holds a 12-2 record at home this season and a 26-4 mark since last season.
• At home this season, the Horns are averaging 70.4 points on 45 percent shooting with a +18.4 scoring margin and a +11.4 rebounding margin.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
• Texas has out-rebounded 23 of 24 opponents this season.
• On Saturday at Kansas, the Longhorns posted a +23 rebound margin. It marked the third-largest rebound margin this season and largest in a Big 12 contest.
• UT's +10.9 rebounding margin ranks 9th in the nation.
• The Horns are averaging 43.5 rebounds per game and holding opponents to 32.5 boards.
LANG STAYING CONSISTENT
• Sophomore center Kelsey Lang is the team's active leading scorer (11.0 ppg), rebounder (6.5 rpg) and shooter (.567; 114-201 FG).
• Lang has scored double-figure points in eight of the last nine games.
• The Woodlands, Texas native has started in all 23 games she has played in and has reached double-figure points 15 times.
• Lang recorded her first career double-double against Baylor (Feb. 8), scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 37 minutes.
• Lang has scored a career-high 20 points twice this season -- against UTPA (Nov. 26) and Baylor (Feb. 8).
• Lang was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 1 -- her first career Big 12 weekly honor. Lang averaged 19 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting .750 (18-of-24) from the field during Texas' wins over UT-Pan American and No. 4/5 Tennessee.
McCarty NAMED BIG 12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
• Freshman guard Brooke McCarty was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week after averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in games at Oklahoma State (Feb. 11) and at Kansas (Feb. 14). She went 10-of-19 (.526) from the field, including a 7-of-12 (.583) effort from 3-point range.
• The League City, Texas, native leads Texas with 31 three-point field goals this season.
• McCarty has started the last seven games at point guard and has just four turnovers in the last four games.
McGEE-STAFFORD ON A ROLL
• Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford is beginning to hit her stride after missing eight games due to preseason leg surgery.
• The Los Angeles native is coming off two consecutive double-doubles at Oklahoma State (16 points, 12 rebounds) and at Kansas (12 points, 16 rebounds).
• In her five starts this season, McGee-Stafford averages 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and a .600 shooting percentage in just 24.8 minutes.
• Per 40 minutes during Big 12 play, she averages 21.7 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks.
INJURY REPORT
• Sophomore forward Nekia Jones (left knee) is indefinitely out.
• Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali (left knee) is out for the season after tearing her ACL at Baylor (Jan 19).
• Nine Longhorns have missed a combined 38 games.
ATKINS FINDING HER GROOVE
• In the last five games, freshman guard Ariel Atkins is averaging 13.0 points in 31.8 minutes.
• On the year, Atkins averages 10.3 points per game and leads UT in free throw percentage (.823).
• Atkins was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Week on Feb. 3 after posting 34 points (17.0 ppg) in two games against Oklahoma (Jan. 29) and TCU (Feb. 1).
SANDERS ASSISTING
• Junior guard Brady Sanders leads the Longhorns in assists (72; 3.1 apg).
• In the last five games, Sanders is averaging 5.2 assists.
• This season, Sanders has recorded five-or-more assists in a game seven times. Entering the season, she featured just three games with five-or-more assists.
• Sanders leads the team in minutes played (28.4 mpg).
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
• A Longhorn has recorded a double-double in three consecutive games.
• Sophomore center Kelsey Lang posted 20 points and 11 rebounds against Baylor (Feb. 8) for her first career double-double.
• Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford posted two consecutive double-doubles with 16 points and 12 rebounds at Oklahoma State (Feb. 11), and 12 points and 16 rebounds at Kansas (Feb. 14).
• Senior forward Nneka Enemkpali accounts for nine double-doubles in just 17 games this season. Enemkpali finished her collegiate career with 30 double-doubles, including a Big 12-leading nine this season. Her streak of seven this season set a program record for consecutive double-doubles. She also had six consecutive double-doubles as a sophomore in 2012-13.
IMPROVING TURNOVER RATE
• Through 24 games, Texas has improved its turnover rate from the previous five seasons.
• After posting a -4.3 turnover margin in 64 games during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, the Horns maintain the lowest amount of turnovers per game in five years (16.2 to/game).
SHOOTING POTENTIAL
• Despite this season's long-range shooting slump, UT's perimeter shooters are proven to have long-range accuracy.
• In the last three games, Texas is shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc (18-41 3FG).
• Last season, Texas led the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.365, 187-512 3FG). But this season, Texas ranks 9th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage.
NEARING THE 20-WIN MARK
• Texas is four wins away from its 32nd 20-win season.
• Last season, Texas reached 20 wins for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when the Longhorns went 22-12.
• All of UT's 20-win teams have earned a berth in the NCAA Championship, since joining the Association in the 1982-83 season.
• Karen Aston has been apart of seven 20-win teams at Texas -- six as an assistant coach (1998-2006) and one as a head coach (2012-present).
