The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
TCU
No. 6 Women's Basketball preview: TCU [Jan. 20, 2016]
01.19.2016 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Frogs meet at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday.
No. 6/6 Texas Longhorns (16-1, 5-1 Big 12) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (11-6, 3-3 Big 12)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena (6,800)
Time: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 | 7 p.m. CT
TV: Fox College Sports (Chuck LaMendola, Janice Dziuk)
Radio: 105.3 FM (Roger Wallace, Fran Harris)
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 6/6 Texas women's basketball team looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it travels to Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday to face the TCU Horned Frogs. Tip-off in the new Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena is slated for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised by Fox College Sports.
The Longhorns (16-1, 5-1 Big 12 Conference) are looking for their first win in Fort Worth since the 2013 season. Texas leads the all-time series with TCU 36-2, but has dropped the last two meetings on the Frogs' home court.
"TCU is a really good basketball team and a difficult challenge for us," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "Their style of play is quite a bit different than ours and they have become a team that gives us a little bit of trouble because of their style. We'll have to lock down defensively and, obviously, be a lot better than we were on Sunday. We need to have some composure on the offensive end and not turn it over."
Senior center Imani Boyette is averaging a double-double to lead Texas, tallying 13.0 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. She has also blocked a squad-best 52 shots this season and is her team's leader in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Boyette has nine double-doubles on the year, including a double-dip in five of six conference games.
Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty follows with 11.2 points per game, while sophomore guard Ariel Atkins follows with 8.9 points per game. Junior center Kelsey Lang is the team's second-leading rebounder at 4.9 boards per game. Senior guard Celina Rodrigo has dished out a squad-best 61 assists, while freshman guard Lashann Higgs has swiped 28 steals.
TCU enters Wednesday's game with a 11-6 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Frogs are coming off a 58-49 loss at Kansas State on Saturday.
Three TCU players are averaging more than 10 points per game, led by Zahna Medley's team-high 15.7 points per game. AJ Alix follows with 10.8 points per game and Veja Hamilton follows with 10.2 points per game. Caitlin Diaz is averaging a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game.
QUICK NOTES
- Texas head coach Karen Aston is looking for her 75th win at Texas on Wednesday.
- The Longhorns rank sixth nationally in field-goal percentage defense (33.1).
- Texas ranks eighth nationally in rebound margin at plus-12.3.
- Ten of Texas' 16 wins this season have been decided by 20 or more points.
- Texas has led at the half in 15 of 17 games this season, trailing at intermission in only the games against Little Rock and Baylor.
- The Longhorns have scored 70 or more points in 11 games this season, including 80 or more points in five contests.
- Senior Texas center Imani Boyette has been named Big 12 Player of the Week on three occasions this season.
- All 13 available Texas players have seen action in four games this season.
PRE-GAME QUOTES
Texas Head Coach Karen Aston
"It's the first day of school so it's always an exciting day for the players to get back into more of a routine. On the flip side of that, they are always a little bit unsettled until they become familiar with their schedules. TCU is a really good basketball team and a difficult challenge for us. Their style of play is quite a bit different than ours and they have become a team that gives us a little bit of trouble because of their style. We'll have to lock down defensively and, obviously, be a lot better than we were on Sunday. We need to have some composure on the offensive end and not turn it over."
On what challenges will be posed by TCU …
"They play a really fast tempo. They shoot the ball really well. They shoot the three really quickly and they like to get into a tempo where they can shoot and run. Back to the turnover issue, when we lost up there last year, it was particularly related to turnovers. We have to value the possessions much better than we have."
On yesterday's mindset following the Baylor loss on Sunday …
"I thought we had a terrific film session yesterday – an opportunity to look back and look at where we were exposed in that game, and there were plenty of places. It was a chance to really push that re-set button. One loss doesn't define you, but we weren't at our best at all. We know that. I think we let a lot of people down who came into the Erwin Center on Sunday afternoon, starting with me. It was a good opportunity for us to kind of lock back in."
On how the team has responded to the loss against Baylor …
"I think we took it hard in the sense that we didn't perform at our best. I think it's one thing to lose. Not something anybody wants to do, but when you couple that with not doing your best, you want to play your best. I think there was a refocus yesterday."
On the keys to Texas having performed well on the road this season …
"I think we're a more mature team and it takes some maturity to go on the road and not let sitting in a hotel room get to you or having the ability to focus on what the task is that day. Sometimes, it's the maturity of not having your home crowd with you. It's one of those things that has not been an item for our team this year. I feel like we've locked in pretty good on the road – times that we've had no family or friends in the stands watching us play - and still played pretty well. I'm confident about going on the road with this team. Now, at this point, it's about can mentally locking in to what the game plan is that day because every team in the league gives you something different. This will be a dramatically different game than what Sunday was."
