The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Kansas
No. 6 Women's Basketball preview: Kansas [Jan. 27, 2016]
01.26.2016 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns are seeking the program's 1,000th all-time win.
No. 6/6 Texas Longhorns (18-1, 7-1 Big 12) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (5-14, 0-8 Big 12)
Location: Austin, Texas | Frank Erwin Center (16,540)
Time: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 | 7 p.m. CT
TV: Longhorn Network (Fran Harris, Nell Fortner, Tyler Denning)
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn (Craig Way, Kathy Harston)
Tickets | Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio | WatchESPN
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 6/6 University of Texas women's basketball team will vie for the program's 1,000th all-time win on Wednesday when it plays host to Kansas. 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 is looking to become just the fifth program in NCAA Division I women's basketball to reach 1,000 all-time wins. Earlier this season, Old Dominion became the fourth program all-time to eclipse that milestone. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, James Madison and Old Dominion are the for programs to have accomplished that feat. Wins by Texas coaches include: Rod Page (38), Jody Conradt (783), Gail Goestenkors (102) and Karen Aston (76).
"Wednesday is a big day," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "It is an unbelievable opportunity to get the 1,000 wins that we've been talking about and an opportunity, most importantly, to do it on our home court in front of our fans. We're looking forward to the game. Nothing is ever easy in the Big 12, so it will be a one minute at a time and one possession at a time game. I do feel very excited for our players and our fans that we have an opportunity to do it on Wednesday."
Join Texas Athletics for the UT & Me expo to promote National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday. Tables featuring a variety of Texas student-athletes will be throughout the concourse prior to tipoff. The expo will run from 6-6:45 p.m. and will feature student-athletes from tennis, volleyball, softball, golf, rowing, soccer and cheer and pom.
Prior to the game, senior guard Empress Davenport will be presented with the Judy Dunn Award. The Judy Dunn Award recognizes an outstanding Texas Women's Basketball player who aspires to teach, coach or make a difference in youth sports. Dunn's life work was teaching high school English and advancing the sport of Women's Basketball in the state of Texas. As a high school coach Judy recorded 500 wins and numerous championships with her girls' basketball teams, the most with Colony High School from 1985-1994. The Judy Dunn award was created by Judy's brother Stephen Dunn, sister Denise Dunn and friends Weezie Bailey and Jackie Baggett.
School of Rock will be performing at halftime and will feature a female-fronted band performing a knockout medley of vintage 1960s soul.
The Longhorns (18-1, 7-1 Big 12 Conference) are off to their best 19-game start since the 1986-87 season when Texas also began the season 18-1. That year, the Longhorns finished 31-2 overall and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. This year marks just the fourth time in program history that a Texas team has won at least 18 of its first 19 games.
Senior Texas center Imani Boyette is averaging a double-double at 13.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds a game. She also has swatted a squad-best 65 shots this season. In Big 12 Conference games only, she leads the league in rebounding (12.4 rebounds per game) and blocked shots (4.9 blocks per game) and ranks second in field goal percentage (.593). She has recorded a double-double in seven of the team's eight Big 12 games this year.
Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty follows with 11.1 points per game, while sophomore guard Ariel Atkins contributes 9.5 points per game. Junior guard Brianna Taylor is second on her team in rebounding with 4.8 boards per game. Senior guard Celina Rodrigo has dished out a squad-best 73 assists, while Taylor has logged a team-high 30 steals.
Texas and Kansas meet for the 31st time in the history of the two programs on Wednesday. The Longhorns lead the all-time series 20-10 and have won six consecutive meetings against the Jayhawks, including a 75-38 victory against the Jayhawks in Lawrence earlier this season.
Kansas enters Wednesday's game with a 5-14 overall record, including an 0-8 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Jayhawks have lost 10 consecutive games entering Wednesday's contest. Lauren Aldridge averages a team-high 10.8 points per game, while Kylee Kopatich adds 10.3 points per game. Caelynn Manning-Allen is the team's leading rebounder at 5.8 boards per game.
QUICK NOTES
• Texas is looking to become just the fifth NCAA Division I women's basketball program all time to reach 1,000 victories.
• The Longhorns are 4-1 (.800) this year against top-25 teams, including a 2-1 (.667) mark against top-10 foes this season.
• Texas has won the rebound battle in 17 of 19 games this season. The Longhorns are averaging 43.4 boards per game and are winning the rebound margin by +11.6. Texas ranks 10th nationally in rebound margin.
• Texas has shot 50 percent or better from the field on five occasions this season, including a 50.8 percent (31-of-61) clip in its last game against Oklahoma. The Longhorns shot a season-best 55.7 percent (34-of-61) against Canisius on Dec. 16.
• The Longhorns shot a season-best 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the free-throw line against Oklahoma.
• Texas has led at the half in 16 of 19 games.
• 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.
• Up next, Texas travels to Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday to face Kansas State. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be carried live on ESPN3.
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAMS AT 1,000 WINS (AS OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 26)
Rank Program All-Time Victories 1 Tennessee 1,289 2 Louisiana Tech 1,068 3 James Madison 1,030 4 Old Dominion 1,004 -- Texas 999
BEST 19-GAME STARTS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
1979-80 19-0 1985-86 19-0 1986-87 18-1 2015-16 18-1
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
