The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech
No. 5 Women's Basketball preview: Texas Tech [Jan. 2, 2016]
01.01.2016 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Red Raiders meet at 7 p.m. CT Saturday on LHN.
No. 5/6 Texas Longhorns (12-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-3, 0-1 Big 12)
Location: Austin, Texas | Erwin Center (16,540)
Time: Saturday, January 2, 2016 | 7 p.m. CT
TV: Longhorn Network (Lowell Galindo, Fran Harris)
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn (Craig Way, Kathy Harston)
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio | WatchESPN
AUSTIN, Texas – Off to the fourth-best start in program history, the No. 5/6 Texas women's basketball team returns home to play host to Texas Tech on Saturday. Tip-off in the Frank Erwin Center is slated for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network.
Texas (12-0, 1-0 Big 12 Conference) is coming off a 65-54 win at West Virginia on Wednesday night that opened league play. Sophomore guard Ariel Atkins scored a game-high 18 points and senior center Imani Boyette turned in her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds to complement six blocks.
The Longhorns are currently one of six undefeated teams nationally in women's basketball and the only unbeaten squad in the Big 12. With a win on Saturday, Texas would tie the 2014-15 team for the third-best start in school history at 13-0.
Boyette and sophomore guard Brooke McCarty are tied for the team lead in scoring at 12.0 points per game. Boyette adds 8.9 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12, and has blocked a squad-best 32 shots. Atkins follows with 11.7 points per game, while freshman guard Lashann Higgs adds 8.9 points per game and a team-high 22 steals. Junior center Kelsey Lang is second on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.0 boards per game.
Texas and Texas Tech meet for the 95th time in the history of the two programs. The Red Raiders are the Longhorns' most frequent opponent in program history. Texas Leads the all-time series between the two teams 65-29 and has won four consecutive meetings.
Texas Tech enters Saturday's game with a 9-3 overall record and an 0-1 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Red Raiders are coming off a 78-69 loss to TCU on Wednesday night in Lubbock. In its loss to TCU, two Texas Tech players scored more than 20 points. Japreece Dean scored 22 points, while Leashja Grant scored 21 points and brought down nine rebounds.
Four Texas Tech players are averaging in double-figure scoring so far this season. Junior guard Ivonne CookTaylor leads the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Junior center Leashja Grant is the team's leading rebounder at 7.9 boards per game and also adds 12.3 points per game.
Texas Tech was predicted to finish ninth out of 10 teams in the Big 12 Conference, according to the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll. QUICK NOTES
- Texas ranks tied for fifth in all-time victories by NCAA Division I institutions with 993. Just four teams in the history of the sport have achieved 1,000 wins - Tennessee (1,286), Louisiana Tech (1,064), James Madison (1,025) and Old Dominion (1,001). Stephen F. Austin is tied with Texas for fifth place all-time.
- Texas has won the rebounding battle in 11 of 12 games this season. The Longhorns are averaging 44.3 boards per game and are winning the rebound margin by +13.6. Texas ranks eighth nationally in rebound margin.
- Up Next, Texas stays at home to play host to Iowa State on Wednesday. Tip-off in the Frank Erwin Center is slated for 7 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on Longhorn Network.
PRE-GAME QUOTES
Texas Head Coach Karen Aston
On what has been the key to Texas' success so far this season …
"I think it has been the players' mental approach. This has been a work in progress for us to have this kind of culture that is expected of a winning program and they're just at that place where I think they understand the day-to-day process of what it takes to be successful. I'm sure we'll have some downs that we have to deal with somewhere along the way, but I really do think it has been the mental approach and, in particular, having some players who have been through this for two or three years."
On if the team is peaking at this time …
"I still think that we're a work in progress, just the fact that Ariel [Atkins] has just now come back and Brady [Sanders] is not herself just yet and she is working towards getting there also. Our freshmen haven't come along as much as they will in another month from now, so I think there's still a lot of room for improvement with our team."
On sophomore guard Ariel Atkins' role on the team …
"Ariel is capable of doing a lot of things, so to put her in a box is not a good thing because she's really a very versatile player who can score the basketball, she can rebound, she can defend, and she communicates great. Her role is, at this point right now, with her coming off the bench to be another energy player for us. She is absolutely that. With her capabilities of scoring you have to, as a coach, want her to look for her shot and to be aggressive offensively."
On the difference between this year's conference season and last year's …
"It's early. I have cautioned our team about getting ahead of itself. We have played one game and have another one on Saturday. I think the really, really critical thing is that we take one day at a time and don't get ahead of ourselves. We have work to do. We have to keep getting better and we have to keep a team attitude. I think that's one big thing with this team - because we have a lot of talented players - that they stay driven to be a team and to be focused on teamwork. We have a good shot at having a really good season."
On senior center Imani Boyette …
"It's her senior year and you always want, as a coach, for a senior to go out in style. I really want these four [Boyette, Empress Davenport, Celina Rodrigo and Brady Sanders] to do that. Imani has a lot of potential to play at the next level and, for her to have a good year, sets herself up in a lot of areas to have a successful career as she leaves the Forty Acres. For our team, having her presence on the court every day has been a huge difference."
On the Texas program being seven wins away from 1,000 all-time victories …
"Every time we play a game, I write on the board what our intention is for our record to be after the game is over and then underneath that, I've been counting down. We put how many more wins we have to go for 1,000. It's fun to talk about and think about. I think it's a huge deal. One thousand wins for a program has only been done four times. It's a total tribute to all the players and the coaches who were here before us. As it gets a little bit closer, I hope everybody gets excited about it."
On Texas Tech's Japreece Dean …
"She's not afraid. I think when you watch her play, she has a swag about her that is unique for a freshman. She can play the point; that's a lot for a freshman at this level. She's doing it well and she's an offensive scoring threat for them. She looks like she has really good leadership skills also."
Senior Guard Celina Rodrigo
On Texas' progress entering the new year …
"Our season is going well so far and we just want to build on that and have it carry over [to the new year]."
On the 1-0 start to Big 12 Conference play after Wednesday's win at West Virginia …
"We're taking it one game at a time. I think we played well against West Virginia and we're just learning things we can improve upon. We're taking it one step at a time and not looking ahead to the games to come. Right now, we have to focus on Texas Tech."
On the difference between this year's conference season and last year's …
"I think we might have gotten too high last season and this season, the focus is just to do what we do and take it one game at a time. We had a lot of emotions last year. This year, we're more used to it and we're more relaxed and focused on the next game."
On improving upon last season's 9-9 finish in Big 12 Conference play …
"Especially the older players, we've been there before and we know what it feels like. We know what not to do this season. Last season, we went into Iowa State and lost, and then we lost Nneka [Enemkpali] and we just weren't where we needed to be. I think, this year, we definitely learned from those mistakes last year."
On Ariel Atkins returning from injury …
"I think she's going to be great. We're already proud of what she's done and how far she's come. She's definitely a scorer and I think she adds a lot of value to our team as a scorer, and then defensively. At West Virginia she took a couple of huge charges that really helped us out."
Sophomore Guard Ariel Atkins
On how hard it was to miss the first nine games of the season due to injury …
"It was hard watching my team, but I wasn't really anxious because my teammates were really supportive of me and telling me to make sure I take my time. But it feels really good to be back."
On her focus since returning to game action …
"My focus right now is trying to just let the game come to me and do what we need to do on the floor on any given night."
On if she expected her 18-point performance at West Virginia on Wednesday night …
"With our team, it's anybody on any given night. I feel like my team got me the open looks to put the ball up. Tomorrow night, it could be anybody. That's how our team is. Whichever guard is producing that night, that's who we try to get open looks for."
On the difference between this year's team and last year's team …
"We have four seniors this year. This is the first class that has played through Coach [Karen] Aston's system and I think that the maturity of our seniors is going to be a big difference for us this year."
