The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Iowa State
No. 6 Women's Basketball preview: Iowa State [Feb. 6, 2016]
02.03.2016 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Cyclones square off at 1:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
No. 6/6 Texas Longhorns (20-1, 9-1 Big 12) at Iowa State Cyclones (12-9, 4-6 Big 12)
Location: Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum
Time: Saturday, February 6, 2016 | 1:30 p.m. CT
TV: FS2 (Ron Thulin, Brenda Van Lengen)
Radio: 105.3 FM (Roger Wallace, Fran Harris)
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 6/6 University of Texas women's basketball team travels to Iowa State on Saturday in search of its first win in Ames since 2009. Tip-off in Hilton Coliseum is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised by FS2.
With its victory against Kansas State last Saturday, Texas (20-1, 9-1 Big 12 Conference) reached 20 wins for the 33rd time in program history. The 2015-16 Longhorns tied for the third-fastest team in program history to reach 20 wins. The 1979-80 and 1985-86 teams reached 20 victories after their first 20 games. This year's squad tied the 1986-87 team by reaching 20 victories after its first 21 contests.
Senior Texas center Imani Boyette leads her team, averaging a double-double with 13.4 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game. In conference games only, she is averaging 15.3 points per game and leads the Big 12 in rebounding (11.7 rebounds per game), field goal percentage (.592) and blocked shots (4.4 blocks per game). Boyette has a double-double in eight of 10 Big 12 games this season.
Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty contributes 11.3 points per game, while sophomore guard Ariel Atkins adds 9.3 points per game. Junior center Kelsey Lang is the team's second-leading rebounder at 4.8 boards per game. Senior guard Celina Rodrigo has dished out a squad-best 82 assists, while junior guard Brianna Taylor has a team-high 35 steals.
Texas and Iowa State meet for the 30th time in the history of the two programs with the Cyclones leading the all-time series 17-12. Texas won 75-54 earlier this season in Austin, but the Longhorns have not left Ames with a victory since a 55-52 win on February 15, 2009. Iowa State has won six of the last eight meetings.
Iowa State enters Saturday's game with a 12-9 overall record and a 4-6 tally in Big 12 play. The Cyclones had lost five consecutive games before a 63-53 win at Kansas on Tuesday night. Kansas State is 8-3 at home inside Hilton Coliseum this season.
Junior Seanna Johnson is the second-leading scorer in the Big 12, averaging 17.0 points per game (all games combined). She is also third in the Big 12 in rebound with 9.8 boards per game. Freshman standout Bridget Carlton adds 13.3 points per game, while sophomore Jadda Buckley adds 10.8 points per game.
QUICK NOTES
- Texas has won the rebounding battle in 19 of 21 games this season. The Longhorns are averaging 43.2 boards per game and are winning the rebound margin by +12.1. Texas ranks ninth nationally in rebound margin.
- Texas is just the fifth NCAA Division I women's basketball program to reach 1,000 wins all-time.
- 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 ranks seventh nationally in scoring offense at 19.7 points per game, ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense at 33.8, and ninth nationally in rebound margin at +12.1.
- Texas has led at the half in 18 of 21 games.
- All 13 available Texas players have seen action in five games this season.
- Senior Texas center Imani Boyette has been named Big 12 Player of the Week on three occasions this season.
- Boyette has a chance to do something no other player in program history has accomplished. With 76 more rebounds, Boyette would become the first Texas player ever to record 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks in a career. She currently ranks 25th in program history in scoring (1,238), eighth in rebounding (924) and third in blocked shots (269).
- Sophomore Texas guard Brooke McCarty is making a huge impact this season. She is averaging 11.3 points per game in a team-high 29.1 minutes per game.
- Up next, Texas returns home to play host to Oklahoma State on Wednesday, February 10. Tip-off in the Frank Erwin Center is set for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network.
