The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
WKU
Women's Basketball preview: vs. WKU - NCAA First Round [March 20, 2015]
03.18.2015 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns open NCAA postseason play on Friday against WKU.
NCAA Championship - First Round
Game 33: No. 5 seed TEXAS (22-10) vs. No. 12 seed WKU (30-4)
Date/Time: Friday, March 20 | 4:20 p.m. Central
Site: Berkeley, Calif. | Haas Pavilion (11,800)
TV: ESPN2 / WatchESPN - Melissa Lee (play-by-play), Mary Murphy (analyst)
Radio: KVET 103.1 FM iHeart Austin - Craig Way (play-by-play), Kathy Harston (analyst)
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Game Notes | Bracket
VIDEO: Karen Aston Press Conference | Selection Show reaction
TEXAS-WKU SERIES
• Texas and WKU will meet for the seventh time in program history (Texas leads, 6-2) and third time in NCAA Championship competition (tied, 1-1).
• The Lady Toppers are the second-most common opponent for the Longhorns in NCAA postseason play, trailing only Louisiana Tech (6).
• Texas and WKU played each other for six consecutive seasons from 1985-1990, but have not met since.
• The Lady Toppers won the last meeting, 56-61, on Jan. 11, 1990 in Bowling Green, Ky.
• The Longhorns won the last meeting in the NCAA tournament play, 90-65, on March 28, 1986 in the Final Four (Lexington, Ky.). Texas went on to capture its first NCAA title two days later, becoming the sport's first undefeated national champions (36-0).
TEXAS IN THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
• Texas is making its 28th NCAA Championship appearance, including the sixth in the last seven seasons.
• The Longhorns' 28 appearances in the field ranks fourth all-time. Texas has appeared the NCAA Championship field in 28 of 32 seasons, since the NCAA Women's Championship began in 1983.
• UT is a No. 5 seed for the second consecutive season and fourth time overall (3-3 record). The Longhorns are 3-0 in the first round as a No. 5 seed. Last season, Texas advanced to the NCAA Championship Second Round in College Park, Maryland -- defeating No. 12 seed Penn and losing to No. 3 seed Maryland.
• It is the first time Texas is opening the tournament in the Pacific Time Zone.
• Head coach Karen Aston is making her third appearance in the NCAA Championship as a head coach.
• Aston took Charlotte to the big dance in 2009 after earning the Atlantic 10's automatic bid as conference tournament champions. Aston and the No. 11 seed 49ers lost to No. 6 seed and eventual regional finalist Purdue, 65-52, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
• As an assistant coach at Texas from 1998-99 to 2005-06 under Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt, Aston held a 7-7 record in the NCAA Championship (seven appearances in eight seasons), including an appearance in the 2003 Final Four.
POSTSEASON PLAY
In three postseason games this season:
• Texas is holding opponents to 60.7 points per game on 35.5 percent shooting from the field.
• Texas has a +4.3 rebound margin.
• Texas has 70 field goals (23.3 fg/game) on 49 assists (16.3 ast/game).
• Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford is UT's leading scorer (11.7 ppg) and rebounder (9.7 rpg) in just 20.7 minutes per game off the bench.
• Junior guard Empress Davenport is averaging double-figure points (10.7 ppg).
• Junior guard Celina Rodrigo leads Texas in assists (4.3 apg) and has made four 3-pointers in 20.3 minutes off the bench.
• Senior guard Krystle Henderson has seven assists and no turnovers in 36 total minutes played.
RETURN TO CALIFORNIA
• Texas is making its second trip to California of the season this weekend. In UT's first two road games of the season, the Longhorns defeated then-No. 6/1 Stanford (Nov. 20) and UCLA (Nov. 23).
• Juniors Imani McGee-Stafford and Celina Rodrigo were each from California. McGee-Stafford graduated from the Windward School in Los Angeles, while Rodrigo was born in L.A. and raised in Marietta, Georgia.
LAST NINE GAMES
• Since starting the conference season 4-8, Texas has won seven of its last nine games entering the NCAA Championship.
• During the last nine games, the Longhorns are averaging 67.7 points and holding opponents to 58.3 points per game -- a +9.3 scoring margin.
• Texas began its first 12 games of conference play shooting 26 percent from 3-point range. The Longhorns are now shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc in the last nine games.
• Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford is the team's leading scorers during this period, averaging 11.0 points in just 20.0 minutes off the bench. McGee-Stafford also has team-highs of 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, and a .514 field goal percentage.
• Freshman guard Ariel Atkins averages 10.1 points in the last nine games, including a 20-for-22 (.909) effort at the free throw line.
• Junior guard Brady Sanders has 27 assists on just 12 turnovers during this run. Sanders also averages 9.0 points with a team-high 15 3-pointers (.455 3FG%) in the last nine games.
DEEP BENCH
• In the last seven games, UT's bench has out-scored the opponent's bench by a total of 195-49 (an average of 28-7).
• 11 Longhorns average more than 10 minutes per game.
• Texas' bench out-scores its opponent's bench by an average of 25-to-13 this season.
STARTING LINEUPS
• In 32 games, Texas has used 11 different starting lineups.
• 10 of the 11 Longhorns who average at least 10 minutes per game, have started a game this season.
• Sophomore center Kelsey Lang has started in a team-high 31 games and junior guard Brady Sanders has started in 26 games.
• UT's current projected starters -- McCarty, Sanders, Atkins, Taylor and Lang -- is now the most-used starting lineup after starting in eight of the last nine games.
TOP 10 TOPPERS
• Texas is 3-1 against top-10 teams this season with wins at then-No. 6/1 Stanford (Nov. 20), against then-No. 4/5 Tennessee (Nov. 30) in Austin against then-No. 4/5 Texas A&M in Little Rock, Arkansas.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
• Texas has out-rebounded 29 of 32 opponents this season.
• UT's +9.6 rebounding margin ranks 12th in the nation.
• The Horns are averaging 42.5 rebounds per game and holding opponents to 32.8 rebounds per game.
WINS AND LOSSES
• During its 22 wins this season, Texas has averaged 71.4 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field.
• During UT's nine losses, the Horns average 60.8 points on 37.9 percent shooting.
• The Longhorns are 13-0 when scoring 70 points or more.
• Texas has a +1.4 turnover margin during wins and a -6.0 turnover margin in losses.
20 WINS
• Texas (22-10, 9-9 Big 12) reached 20 wins for the 32nd time in program history this season.
• For the second consecutive season, Texas won its 20th game in the regular season finale -- needing 30 games to reach 20 wins last season, and 29 games to reach 20 wins this season.
• Last season's 22-win campaign broke a three-season drought of reaching 20 wins.
• 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 eight 20-win teams at Texas -- six as an assistant coach (1998-2006) and two as a head coach (2012-present).
POINTS IN THE PAINT
• Texas is out-scoring its opponents in the paint by an average of 33-to-20, a +13 point margin.
• Texas has scored 40+ points in the paint in six games this season, including a 40-point effort in the Big 12 quarterfinal game against TCU (March 7).
• During non-conference play, Texas had a 41-19 scoring advantage in the paint.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Texas held a 15-2 record at home this season and a 29-4 mark the past two seasons.
• At home this season, the Horns averaged 70.8 points on 45 percent shooting with a +19.2 scoring margin and a +10.7 rebounding margin.
• Texas has won at least 14 home games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002-03 (15-0) and 2003-04 (16-0). Last season UT went 14-2 at the Erwin Center.
SIX LONGHORNS ON ALL-BIG 12 TEAMS
• Six University of Texas student-athletes were named to the Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women's Basketball Teams on Wednesday. The All-Big 12 honors are chosen by head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
• Texas is tied with regular season champion Baylor for the most combined honorees on the All-Big 12 Teams.
• Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford was named All-Big 12 First Team. Sophomore center Kelsey Lang was named to All-Big 12 Second Team. Junior guard Brady Sanders and senior forward Nneka Enemkpali were both named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Freshman guards Ariel Atkins and Brooke McCarty landed on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
LONGHORNS LEAD CONFERENCE IN ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 SELECTIONS
• A conference-leading eight Texas student-athletes were named to the 2015 Academic All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Team this season.
• UT's first-team honorees (3.2+ GPA) include Krystle Henderson, Kelsey Lang, Imani McGee-Stafford, Celina Rodrigo, Brady Sanders and Brianna Taylor.
• Empress Davenport and Nneka Enemkpali received second team honors (3.00-3.19 GPA).
• To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
IN THE POLLS
• UT has made 11 appearances in the top-10 of both polls this season.
• UT's five appearances at No. 3/3 was the program's highest ranking since starting the 2004-05 season ranked No. 2 in the AP poll and No. 3 in the Coaches' poll.
• UT has the third-most all-time appearances in the AP Top 25 (482).
• PRESEASON: Texas began the season ranked No. 9 in the AP poll, marking UT's first return to the AP top 10 since Nov. 17, 2009. In the 38 seasons the AP has conducted polling for women's basketball, the Longhorns have been ranked 30 times in the AP Preseason Top 25 and 16 times in the AP Preseason Top 10. Seven UT opponents received preseason ranking -- No. 4/4 Tennessee, No. 5/5 Texas A&M, No. 6/6 Stanford, No. 8/9 Baylor, No. 17/17 West Virginia, No. 21/20 Oklahoma State, and No. 23/23 UCLA.
LANG STAYING CONSISTENT
• Sophomore center Kelsey Lang is the team's active leading scorer (10.9 ppg) and shooter (.555; 153-278 FG).
• The Woodlands, Texas native has started in all 31 games she has played in and has reached double-figure points 19 times.
• Lang recorded her first career double-double against Baylor (Feb. 8), scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. She follow-up with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the regular season finale against TCU (March 3).
• She has also posted double-figure points with nine rebounds twice this season -- 11 points and nine rebounds against Oklahoma State (Feb. 25), and 14 points and nine rebounds at K-State (Feb. 4).
• Lang has scored a career-high 20 points twice this season -- against UTPA (Nov. 26) and Baylor (Feb. 8).
• Lang was named All-Big 12 Second Team -- her first Big 12 postseason honor.
McGEE-STAFFORD ON A ROLL
• All-Big 12 First Team center Imani McGee-Stafford has three double-doubles in the last five games.
• She recorded her fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season at the Big 12 Championship with 11 points / 10 rebounds against Oklahoma and 15/10 against Baylor.
• 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, she averages 22.6 points, 18.7 rebounds and 4.5 blocks
• She notched her first 20-point game of the season with 22 points (10-16 FG) in 27 minutes at TCU (Feb. 1).
• In UT's double-overtime win over Oklahoma (Jan. 29), McGee-Stafford registered her first double-double of the season with season highs of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 29 minutes played.
• On Jan. 17, she became engaged to Paul Boyette Jr., a defensive tackle on the Texas Football team.
• McGee-Stafford played for the first time of the season on Dec. 17 against McNeese State after recovering from surgery to reinforce her left tibia in September. She missed the first eight games of the season.
• McGee-Stafford is the 2013 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors last season.
SANDERS ASSISTING
• Junior guard Brady Sanders leads the Longhorns in assists (95; 3.1 apg).
• Sanders also leads the team in minutes played (29.5 mpg).
• The Godley, Texas native was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention this season -- her first carer postseason award.
• 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.
McCARTY TAKING POINT
• Big 12 All-Freshman honoree Brooke McCarty has started 14 of the last 15 games at point guard, aside from Senior Day.
• The League City, Texas, native leads Texas with 35 3-point field goals this season.
• McCarty scored 11 points with two steals in 17 minutes in a win over K-State (Feb. 18), and led the Longhorns in scoring with 13 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes at Texas Tech (Feb. 21).
• McCarty registered her second 20-point effort of the season with 21 points at Oklahoma State (Feb. 11).
• McCarty played in a conference-high 49 minutes in a double-overtime victory over Oklahoma (Jan. 29). She also dished out a season-high eight assists against the Sooners.
• McCarty came off the bench to lead the Longhorns in scoring with 20 points (7-14 FG, 5-9 3FG) at UCLA (Nov. 23).
• The former McDonald's High School All-American made her first career start against Northwestern State (Dec. 14).
Atkins FINDING HER GROOVE
• Big 12 All-Freshman honoree Ariel Atkins is the leading scorer among Big 12 freshmen (10.0 ppg) and leads Texas in free throw percentage (.842).
• The Big 12 All-Freshman honoree was a three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week and 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).
• During UT's double-overtime victory over Oklahoma (Jan. 29), Atkins registered 21 points (7-17 FG, 7-8 FT) in 40 minutes.
• Atkins missed eight games in December and January with an ankle injury, before returning against Texas Tech (Jan. 17).
• Atkins made her first 14 free throws of her collegiate career.
• Atkins was a 2014 McDonald's High School All-American and played for the USA Basketball U18 National Team during the summer of 2014.
