Photo by Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Texas A&M Women's Basketball
* The key was A&M's opportunistic defense. While KU managed to shoot 50 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range, the difference was A&M's ability to force turnovers. The 'Hawks committed 23 turnovers … 14 of those coming from Aggie steals. That led to 19 points off of turnovers and nine fastbreak points. Also, when you get turnovers, you also get more shots than your opponent. A&M was able to take 14 more shots in the game than KU … and that was a huge difference in the outcome.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Now in her senior year, Elonu keeps grinding her way to important performances.
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* Friday on the radio show, I predicted that Kelsey Bone would be this week's "Ag of the Hour" … a prediction on who is going to have a big week for the Maroon and White. So far, so good because Bone was great tonight. She scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, also grabbing seven rebounds and posting three steals. Certainly a very productive 32 minutes on the floor.
* Adaora Elonu continues to do her thing and is in the midst of a career year! The senior scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. She was also 5-of-6 at the stripe, pulled down four rebounds and came up with a pair of steals. I've been so impressed with Elonu this season … her confidence is sky-high and should only get even higher over the next two weeks prior to a hugely important game against Baylor.
* Don't look now, but Lexi Standish is really emerging as a true player. In this one, Standish posted six assists and no turnovers in 29 minutes on the floor. In a Big 12 game on the road, that is absolutely huge. Standish also put up eight points and had three steals. She took five shots on the night and was 2-of-3 from downtown. Once Standish starts gaining real confidence in her ability to shoot the basketball at this level, it will be lights out. She's so solid and this is just the tip of the iceberg for this young but supremely talented individual.
Just a few quick snippets for you guys. A&M is at OSU on Wednesday as it looks for its fourth consecutive victory.
Opening Statement…
"We have a very balanced team. We played very well in the first half, but there’s a reason Kansas leads the lead in field goal percentage, because they do a very good job of not panicking and running their offense all the way through the clock. Our team is starting to gel. We haven’t played too well this year because we’re getting everyone’s best game. That’s the way it should be when you face a national champion. It’s making us a better team because of the competition and the coaching strategy in the Big 12."
On KU’s Angel Goodrich…
"How Angel (Goodrich) had 11 turnovers, is because of the pressure that Carter was putting on her and the wings couldn’t get open or the posts were not open. That’s how we’re able to play that type of defense when I can put that much pressure on the point guard. But when she couldn’t get them open she’d take it to the hole and beat Carter a couple of times. I’d rather the point guard beat us than the wings, but she’s one of the best in our league."
"I love coming to this place. I’m leaving my career undefeated here. I respect this place so much. This is the best arena in America to play in. The best."
G-F Tyra White
On playing near her hometown…
"It’s always good to come back and play in front of my family and friends here. It’s the last time, except for the Big 12 Tournament. It felt good to come back and get a “W”. It was exciting for me and my teammates."
Center Kelsey Bone
On A&M’s response to Kansas’ run in the second half…
"We knew this was a good team, a hot team right now. One of our former greats is on the staff, so we knew coming in that this team would never be out of the game against us. They cut our lead down and we got in the huddle, got it together and came back and made our run. That’s the maturity that’s emerging from our team as we get more experience and chemistry together. We’re not folding when teams make runs. We’re able to fight back and push, and keep and extend leads."
On shutting down KU’s post players…
"Our program is built on defense. The coaches have been on me all year about defense and I think tonight, I just had to do it. They were coming off a couple of great games and anytime an opposing post player can gather 22 rebounds in a game, you know there is going to be a challenge. Adaora, Karla and all of us stepped up to the challenge tonight to really limit their touches, because we knew if we could shut them down or limit them we would be able to win the game."
On forcing KU’s Angel Goodrich into 11 turnovers…
"Anytime we can turn over a point guard and put them in double digits (in turnovers)…all the credit there goes to Sydney Carter. I wouldn’t want her to guard me and I’m six inches taller. She’s a menace on the ball and it actually makes it easier for us down low. They are so pressured on the wing that they can’t really see the post players to get it to them."
* Texas A&M moves to 10-7 in the all-time series with Kansas. The Aggies have won the last nine straight meetings between the two schools.
* The Aggies’ 43 points at the half marked the fifth time, and the second straight in Big 12 play, this season A&M has tallied 40 or more points in the first half.
* A&M’s shooting percentage of 50 percent in the first half was its second-highest this season and marked the second straight game the Aggies shot 50 percent in the first half.
* The Aggies’ four turnovers at the half matched their lowest first half total this season.
* For the seventh time this season, at least four A&M players scored in double figures.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Carter further polishes her legacy with each passing game, joining a select group of Aggies after the OSU game.
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* For the 12th time this season, the Aggies forced their opponent into 20+ turnovers.
* A&M’s 48.4 field goal percentage was its second-best this season.
* For the third straight game and sixth time this season, A&M forced the opposing point guard into double figure turnovers.
* The Aggies' point guards (Standish, Pratcher and Carter) combined to play 71 minutes while committing a season low one turnover.
* Carter joined an elite group of players and passed over 1,000 career points tonight. She was the 24th A&M player to do so and has 1,003 career points.
* Standish dished out a career-best six assists without a single turnover and added a career-high three steals.
* White has now started in 75 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.
* With 1,307 career points, White moved into ninth place on A&M’s career points list.
* Elonu scored in double figures for the 13th time this season, Bone for the 12th time, Carter for the 11thtime, and White has scored double figures 23 of her last 25 games.
* Elonu hit her seventh career 3-pointer in the second half against Kansas.
* Bone scored a first-half season high 12 points en route to her 18 points.
* Skylar Collins had a career-best four assists and added a pair of steals.
* Head Coach Gary Blair is an undefeated 12-0 lifetime versus the Jayhawks and is 9-0 against KU since his first season in Aggieland in 2003-04.
WBB Snippets: Bone leads Aggies to 76-65 win at KU
Post-game snippets
* A win is a win and any time you can get a W on the road, it's huge. I know that KU is not a "name" opponent in this league on the women's side, but this year is different … this is the best team that Kansas has had in quite some time and it came into Saturday's contest at 4-1 in the Big 12 and flying high. The Aggies squashed that from the start but had a lull in the second half that allowed the Jayhawks to get back into it. Then the better team took control and A&M was able to keep KU at bay down the stretch to secure a much-needed win at Allen Fieldhouse.* The key was A&M's opportunistic defense. While KU managed to shoot 50 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range, the difference was A&M's ability to force turnovers. The 'Hawks committed 23 turnovers … 14 of those coming from Aggie steals. That led to 19 points off of turnovers and nine fastbreak points. Also, when you get turnovers, you also get more shots than your opponent. A&M was able to take 14 more shots in the game than KU … and that was a huge difference in the outcome.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Now in her senior year, Elonu keeps grinding her way to important performances.
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* Adaora Elonu continues to do her thing and is in the midst of a career year! The senior scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. She was also 5-of-6 at the stripe, pulled down four rebounds and came up with a pair of steals. I've been so impressed with Elonu this season … her confidence is sky-high and should only get even higher over the next two weeks prior to a hugely important game against Baylor.
* Don't look now, but Lexi Standish is really emerging as a true player. In this one, Standish posted six assists and no turnovers in 29 minutes on the floor. In a Big 12 game on the road, that is absolutely huge. Standish also put up eight points and had three steals. She took five shots on the night and was 2-of-3 from downtown. Once Standish starts gaining real confidence in her ability to shoot the basketball at this level, it will be lights out. She's so solid and this is just the tip of the iceberg for this young but supremely talented individual.
Just a few quick snippets for you guys. A&M is at OSU on Wednesday as it looks for its fourth consecutive victory.
Post-game quotes
Head Coach Gary BlairOpening Statement…
"We have a very balanced team. We played very well in the first half, but there’s a reason Kansas leads the lead in field goal percentage, because they do a very good job of not panicking and running their offense all the way through the clock. Our team is starting to gel. We haven’t played too well this year because we’re getting everyone’s best game. That’s the way it should be when you face a national champion. It’s making us a better team because of the competition and the coaching strategy in the Big 12."
On KU’s Angel Goodrich…
"How Angel (Goodrich) had 11 turnovers, is because of the pressure that Carter was putting on her and the wings couldn’t get open or the posts were not open. That’s how we’re able to play that type of defense when I can put that much pressure on the point guard. But when she couldn’t get them open she’d take it to the hole and beat Carter a couple of times. I’d rather the point guard beat us than the wings, but she’s one of the best in our league."
We haven’t played too well this year because we’re getting everyone’s best game. That’s the way it should be when you face a national champion. It’s making us a better team because of the competition and the coaching strategy in the Big 12.
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On playing at Allen Fieldhouse…"I love coming to this place. I’m leaving my career undefeated here. I respect this place so much. This is the best arena in America to play in. The best."
G-F Tyra White
On playing near her hometown…
"It’s always good to come back and play in front of my family and friends here. It’s the last time, except for the Big 12 Tournament. It felt good to come back and get a “W”. It was exciting for me and my teammates."
Center Kelsey Bone
On A&M’s response to Kansas’ run in the second half…
"We knew this was a good team, a hot team right now. One of our former greats is on the staff, so we knew coming in that this team would never be out of the game against us. They cut our lead down and we got in the huddle, got it together and came back and made our run. That’s the maturity that’s emerging from our team as we get more experience and chemistry together. We’re not folding when teams make runs. We’re able to fight back and push, and keep and extend leads."
On shutting down KU’s post players…
"Our program is built on defense. The coaches have been on me all year about defense and I think tonight, I just had to do it. They were coming off a couple of great games and anytime an opposing post player can gather 22 rebounds in a game, you know there is going to be a challenge. Adaora, Karla and all of us stepped up to the challenge tonight to really limit their touches, because we knew if we could shut them down or limit them we would be able to win the game."
On forcing KU’s Angel Goodrich into 11 turnovers…
"Anytime we can turn over a point guard and put them in double digits (in turnovers)…all the credit there goes to Sydney Carter. I wouldn’t want her to guard me and I’m six inches taller. She’s a menace on the ball and it actually makes it easier for us down low. They are so pressured on the wing that they can’t really see the post players to get it to them."
Post-game notes
* For the fifth time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Alexia Standish, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Kelsey Bone … The Aggies are 4-1 with this starting lineup.* Texas A&M moves to 10-7 in the all-time series with Kansas. The Aggies have won the last nine straight meetings between the two schools.
* The Aggies’ 43 points at the half marked the fifth time, and the second straight in Big 12 play, this season A&M has tallied 40 or more points in the first half.
* A&M’s shooting percentage of 50 percent in the first half was its second-highest this season and marked the second straight game the Aggies shot 50 percent in the first half.
* The Aggies’ four turnovers at the half matched their lowest first half total this season.
* For the seventh time this season, at least four A&M players scored in double figures.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Carter further polishes her legacy with each passing game, joining a select group of Aggies after the OSU game.
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further polishes her legacy with each passing game, joining a select
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* A&M’s 48.4 field goal percentage was its second-best this season.
* For the third straight game and sixth time this season, A&M forced the opposing point guard into double figure turnovers.
* The Aggies' point guards (Standish, Pratcher and Carter) combined to play 71 minutes while committing a season low one turnover.
* Carter joined an elite group of players and passed over 1,000 career points tonight. She was the 24th A&M player to do so and has 1,003 career points.
* Standish dished out a career-best six assists without a single turnover and added a career-high three steals.
* White has now started in 75 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.
* With 1,307 career points, White moved into ninth place on A&M’s career points list.
* Elonu scored in double figures for the 13th time this season, Bone for the 12th time, Carter for the 11thtime, and White has scored double figures 23 of her last 25 games.
* Elonu hit her seventh career 3-pointer in the second half against Kansas.
* Bone scored a first-half season high 12 points en route to her 18 points.
* Skylar Collins had a career-best four assists and added a pair of steals.
* Head Coach Gary Blair is an undefeated 12-0 lifetime versus the Jayhawks and is 9-0 against KU since his first season in Aggieland in 2003-04.
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