The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Idaho
No. 23 Women's Basketball preview: Idaho
12.08.2020 | Women's Basketball
The Longhorns welcome in the Vandals for just the third all-time meeting between the two programs.
#23 Texas [3-1] vs. Idaho [2-0]
December 9, 2020
Where: Austin, Texas
Arena: Frank Erwin Center [16,540]
Time: 1 p.m. CT
TV: LHN [Alex Loeb, Andrea Lloyd]
Video Stream: LINK
Radio: TexasSports.com [Craig Way, Kathy Harston]
Live Stats: LINK
All-Time Series: Texas leads 2-0
NOTES
• Climbing the Poll: Despite going 1-1 last week, the pollsters rewarded Texas for its rout of Louisiana Tech and close loss to then-No. 12/13 Texas A&M by boosting the Longhorns up two spots in this week's Associated Press rankings to No. 23. The rating is UT's highest from the AP since coming in at No. 22 in the Nov. 11, 2019 release.
• Nearing 500 Boards: Junior forward/center Charli Collier is closing in on a personal stat milestone as the Mont Belvieu, Texas, native currently has 494 career rebounds, needing just six to reach the 500-rebound plateau for her career. She still has work to do to enter the Texas career rebounding Top 10 as former Longhorn Nneka Enemkpali currently rates 10th all-time with 899 boards.
• Against the Vandals: Texas and Idaho will be meeting for just the third time on Wednesday. The Longhorns lead the all-time series, 2-0, and hold a 1-0 mark at the Frank Erwin Center having beaten the Vandals in the most recent match-up between the two programs on Dec. 28, 2013, 87-58. The only other meeting in the series occurred at Idaho back on Dec. 1, 1986, when the Longhorns prevailed, 87-44. That's when Moscow, Idaho, native, and current LHN color analyst Andrea Lloyd was a senior standout on the Longhorns roster. Texas' overall margin of victory in the two games has been +36.0.
• Collier's in Charge: Preseason National Player of the Year candidate Charli Collier keeps putting up the stats, averaging 26.2 points-per-game to rank No. 9 in NCAA Division I and second in the Big 12 Conference. She also rates second in the NCAA in free throws made (35), third in total points (105), fourth in double-doubles (three), seventh in total rebounds (48), 10th in FG's made (34) and 12th in rebounding average (12.0). 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.
• That's a LOT of Turnover: Texas' defense continues to make 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, 30 against LA Tech and 18 against No. 12/13 Texas A&M. As a result, Texas currently leads the Big 12 in both turnovers forced (sixth in NCAA DI - 26.5 tpg) and turnover margin (ninth in NCAA DI - +10.5). Sophomore guard Celeste Taylor has helped power the defensive charge with 18 steals, good enough to lead all of NCAA Division I in that category.
