The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
No. 25 Women's Basketball preview: No. 12/13 Texas A&M
12.05.2020 | Women's Basketball
The Longhorns renew their old rivalry with the Aggies live on ESPN on Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. CT
Women's Basketball Preview
#25 Texas [3-0] vs. #12/13 Texas A&M [3-0]
December 6, 2020
Where: Austin, Texas
Arena: Frank Erwin Center [16,540]
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN [Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck]
Video Stream: LINK
Radio: TexasSports.com [Craig Way, Kathy Harston]
Live Stats: LINK
All-Time Series: Texas leads 62-23
NOTES
• He's Got A&M History: Texas head coach Vic Schaefer will likely have a lot of old memories surface on Sunday as he faces both his alma mater and his old boss, Aggie head coach Gary Blair. Schaefer served as an associate head coach with Blair at both Arkansas (2000-03) & Texas A&M (2003-11). Nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense," Schaefer helped lead A&M to the 2011 National Championship.
• Renewing the Rivalry: Texas and Texas A&M are renewing their rivalry on Sunday for the first time since Dec. 21, 2014. UT leads the all-time series, 62-23, including a 29-7 mark in Austin. Texas has won the last four meetings in the series, including that Dec. 21, 2014, match-up, 67-65.
• Collier's in Charge: Preseason National Player of the Year candidate Charli Collier is truly en fuego right now, averaging 30.3 points-per-game to rank No. 5 in NCAA Division I and second in the Big 12 Conference. She also rates second in the NCAA in free throws made (29), third in both total points (91) and double-doubles (two), fourth in FG's made (30) and eighth in total rebounds (36). Against North Texas, Collier scored a career-high 44 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, marking the first time a Big 12 player had scored 44 points and grabbed at least 15 boards in a game since at least 1999-2000. For her opening week efforts, she earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors (Nov. 30) for the second time in her career.
• Overwhelming Offense: After the first three games of the season, the Longhorns lead the Big 12 Conference and rate 15th in the nation in scoring offense at 93.3 points-per-game. UT also tops the league in team field-goal percentage (18th in NCAA - 50.8%), with junior forward/center Charli Collier guiding the Longhorns at 65.2%, and scoring margin (14th in NCAA - +34.3). Texas has scored 280 total points over its opening three contests in 2020-21. That's the fourth-most points over the opening three games in program history (2017-18 - 315 points; 2010-11 - 296 points; 1978-79 - 291 points).
• That's a LOT of Turnover: Texas' defense has already made an impression on the national and Big 12 stats. UT forced 35 turnovers against SMU, marking the first time UT secured that many since nabbing 37 against Sacramento State back on Nov. 27, 1994, and followed that up by forcing 23 turnovers against North Texas and 30 against LA Tech. As a result, Texas currently leads the Big 12 in both turnovers forced (third in NCAA DI - 29.3 tpg) and turnover margin (eighth in NCAA DI - +12.3). Sophomore guard Celeste Taylor has helped power the defensive charge with 17 steals, good enough to lead all of NCAA Division I in that category.
