The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
K-State
No. 6 Women's Basketball preview: Kansas State [Jan. 30, 2016]
01.29.2016 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Wildcats meet at 7 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN3.
No. 6/6 Texas Longhorns (19-1, 8-1 Big 12) at Kansas State Wildcats (14-5, 4-4 Big 12)
Location: Manhattan, Kan. | Bramlage Coliseum
Time: Saturday, January 30, 2016 | 7 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN3 (Brian Smoller, Missy Heidrick)
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn (Roger Wallace, Fran Harris)
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 6/6 University of Texas women's basketball team is seeking its 20th victory of the season on Saturday when it travels to Manhattan, Kan., to take on Kansas State. Tip-off in Bramlage Coliseum is slated for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be carried live on ESPN3.
The Longhorns (19-1, 8-1 Big 12 Conference) are looking to tie for the third-fastest team in school history to reach 20 wins. The 1979-80 and 1985-86 teams reached 20 victories in their first 20 games. This year's squad is looking to tie the 1986-87 team by reaching 20 wins after its first 21 games. Texas has achieved 20 or more victories on 32 occasions.
Saturday marks the midway point of the Big 12 Conference schedule, as all teams will have played at least nine of their 18 league contests. It will be the 10th conference game for Texas this year and leads the Longhorns into a bye midweek next week.
Texas has won the rebound battle in 18 of 20 games this season. The Longhorns are averaging 43.3 boards per game and are winning the rebound margin by +11.8. Texas ranks 10th nationally in rebound margin.
Senior center Imani Boyette leads the Longhorns in scoring (13.7 points per game), rebounding (10.1 rebounds per game) and blocked shots (3.45 blocks per game). In conference games only, she leads the Big 12 in both rebounding (12.4 rpg) and blocked shots (4.9 bpg). She has recorded a double-double in eight of nine conference games this season.
Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty contributes 11.2 points per game, while sophomore guard Ariel Atkins adds 9.3 points per game. In league games only, Atkins leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 61.0 percent.
Junior center Kelsey Lang is the team's second-leading rebounder at 4.7 boards per game. Senior guard Celina Rodrigo has dished out a team-high 75 assists, while junior guard Brianna Taylor has swiped a squad-best 31 steals on the year.
Texas and Kansas State meet for the 31st time in the history of the two programs. The Longhorns lead the all-time series 16-14, including winning three of the last four meetings. The two teams split the season series a year ago.
Kansas State enters Saturday's game with a 14-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Wildcats enter Saturday's game having won four consecutive contests, including a 65-53 win at Texas Tech last week. The Wildcats did not have a mid-week game this week. Breanna Lewis, a junior center, leads Kansas State with 17.0 points per game on .566 shooting, 7.5 rebounds per game and 2.8 blocks per game.
QUICK NOTES
- Texas has won the rebounding battle in 18 of 20 games this season. The Longhorns are averaging 43.4 boards per game and are winning the rebound margin by +11.8. Texas ranks 10th nationally in rebound margin.
- Texas on Wednesday became just the fifth NCAA Division I women's basketball program to reach 1,000 all-time 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 shot 50 percent or better from the field on five occasions this season, including a 50.8 percent (31-of-61) clip 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 17 of 20 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 five games this season, including the last outing against Kansas.
- Up next, Texas returns to action next Saturday when it travels to Ames, Iowa., to face Iowa State. Tip-off at Hilton Coliseum is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT.
