The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
UCLA
No. 7 Women's Basketball preview: No. 10 UCLA [March 26, 2016]
03.25.2016 | Women's Basketball
Longhorns and Bruins meet in NCAA Sweet 16 at 1 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN.
No. 7/7 Texas Longhorns (30-4) vs. No. 10/12 UCLA Bruins (26-8)
NCAA Regional Semifinals
Time: Saturday, March 26, 2016 | 1 p.m. CT
Location: Bridgeport, Conn. | Webster Bank Arena (10,000)
TV: ESPN (Dave O'Brien, Doris Burke, Holly Rowe)
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn (Craig Way, Fran Harris)
Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio | Texas Pre-Game Quotes | UCLA Pre-Game Quotes
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The No. 7/7 University of Texas women's basketball team, making its second consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, faces No. 10/12 UCLA on Saturday in Bridgeport, Conn. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. CT and the game will be televised by ESPN.
The Longhorns (30-4) are looking to advance to the program's 10th all-time NCAA Regional Final and first since 2003. Texas is making its 29th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and holds an all-time record of 37-27. UT is 8-4 all-time in NCAA Regional Semifinal action.
Texas has reached 30 wins in a single season for the first time since going 30-5 in 2003-04. The Longhorns are coming off victories against Alabama State and Missouri in the NCAA First and Second Rounds, respectively, which took place in Austin.
"We're tremendously excited to be back in the Sweet 16 again," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "It was a great experience for our team last year – a learning experience, a humbling experience, and a motivating experience. I think that this entire year has been built on trying to get back to this place again. I'm really pleased with where our team and our program is at."
Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty leads the Longhorns in scoring, averaging a squad-best 11.6 points per game. She has played a squad-best 30.6 minutes per game this season and has led Texas in scoring a team-high 10 times this season.
Senior center Imani Boyette follows with 11.3 points per game and is the team's leader in rebounding (9.0 rebounds per game) and blocked shots (2.97 blocks per game). Sophomore guard Ariel Atkins adds 10.7 points per game. Junior center Kelsey Lang is the squad's second-leading rebounder at 4.6 boards per game, while senior guard Celina Rodrigo has dished out a team-high 128 assists this season.
In the team's two NCAA Tournament games this season, Atkins is averaging a team-high 18.5 points per game and bringing down 6.5 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Lashann Higgs averages 10.5 points per game in the team's NCAA Tournament games.
Texas and UCLA meet for the 12th time in the history of the two programs. The Bruins lead the all-time series 6-5. The two teams last met on Nov. 23, 2014, when the Longhorns defeated the Bruins 75-65 in Los Angeles.
UCLA enters Saturday's game with a 26-8 overall record. The Bruins are making their first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance since 1999, when UCLA advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
QUICK NOTES
• Texas ranks fifth in NCAA Division I women's basketball history with 1,011 all-time victories.
• Five Longhorns earned recognition on the All-Big 12 teams. Imani Boyette and Brooke McCarty were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, Ariel Atkins was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and Empress Davenport and Celina Rodrigo were named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
• The Longhorns are 6-4 (.600) this year against top-25 teams, including a 2-3 (.400) mark against the top-10.
• The Longhorns have reached 30 overall victories for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
• Texas tied the school record for most Big 12 Conference wins at 15. The 2002-03 team finished 15-1 in Big 12 play.
• The Longhorns have won 15 games this season by 20 or more points.
• Texas has either tied or won the rebound battle in 28 of 34 games this season. The Longhorns rank 16th in the nation in rebound margin at +9.7.
• The Longhorns have scored 60 or more points in 30 of 34 games this season.
• Texas has shot 50 percent or better from the floor this season in six games.
• The Longhorns are 26-0 this season when holding their opponents to 60 or fewer points.
• All 13 available Texas players have seen action in 13 games this season. Against Alabama State, for the first time this season, all 13 players scored.
• Texas leads the Big 12 Conference (all games combined) in turnover margin at +2.32.
• The Longhorns have had nine different leading scorers across their 34 games this season.
• Senior center Imani Boyette ranks ninth nationally in blocked shots with 101 this season.
