Eventful freshman year rolls on for Alexia Standish

Jordan Kirkland: Alexia, you guys just came off a great win against Kansas. Talk about that game, and your performance especially.

Alexia Standish: "Yeah, it was a really good game. We definitely needed that win. I think Kelsey Bone really got us into the game with her enthusiasm, and I think these past few games have been because of our chemistry — especially the Kansas game, just the excitement and the chemistry and confidence that we have going into the game is improving every game. That's really helping us out."

JK: Speaking of chemistry, the lineup you guys are using is going on nine straight games — you, (Sydney) Carter, (Adaora) Elonu, (Tyra) White, Bone ... you're 7-2 after those nine. Why do you think that's working so well?

Standish: "I think Sydney went through a shooting slump at the beginning of the year but now she's back on her game and she's making shots, which is helping us incredibly. Kelsey Bone is playing like she can play and Tyra White is hitting her shots and Adaora is playing fantastic. It's a point guard's job to get them the ball. As long as I can, they'll score. That's really helping us out a lot."

JK: You're on a three-game winning streak right now, all against great teams — Kansas was 16-5 when they came to Reed Arena. How did y'all prepare for them, Texas Tech and Iowa State? Teams that haven't ranked in the top-25 but have been pretty close.

Standish: "We take it one game at a time. Our coaches prepare with a great scout, and we go through it, look at all the plays, work on our defense against them and our offense against them and the coaches are always just really well-prepared. And they prepare us really well."

JK: Y'all just had the reunion for the women's basketball team this past weekend. Did you get to meet any really cool players you were really excited to get to know?

Standish: "Yeah! It was really exciting and cool to see the history of the program — who's developed it and taken us to where we are now. It was really great to meet some of those old players and look thorugh the old yearbooks and media guides, see how far this program has really come."

JK: Going back to high school, you were the No. 1-rated guard coming out of the state of Texas. What made you choose A&M?

Standish: "The school's always been a great school. Getting a diploma here is just an accomplishment in itself. And they've always had a top basketball program here, so ... those two factors alone make a huge impact, and it's close to my home and my parents can make it to the games. There was no reason to not come here, basically."

JK: When Coach Blair and Coach Schaefer were recruiting you, did you know you were going to come to A&M and have the potential to start right away?

Standish: "I knew I had that potential. It just really came down to working hard and earning the job. But between me and Adrienne (Pratcher), we're both playing the same amount of minutes and she's doing a great job. She helps me a lot. She tells me what to do in practice and stuff. She's just helped me a great amount and I appreciate her for that. I didn't know I would start, but I knew I could if I put my mind to it."

JK: Coming into A&M, the women had just come off a national championship. How did you handle going from playing in high school to coming in to this huge spotlight that is over A&M right now?

Standish: "It was a lot of pressure for all the players. Even Sydney and Tyra and Adaora. They've made it there before, they're expected to make it there again. I think we're handling it really well as a team. We're getting closer and bonding on the court. The pressure's been taken away and we're back to where we were last year."

JK: Is there something you do off the court that helps relax you and take your mind off of basketball?

Standish: "Yeah, definitely. I love to hang out with my friends. A lot of my friends from high school came here, so that was really nice. I just hang out with them and my boyfriend. I just stay off my feet and relax when I'm not playing basketball."

JK: You're up against Kansas State tomorrow, huge game against a great team. What's y'all's mindset going into this game and trying to get it to four in the winning streak?

Standish: "Like I said, we take it one game at a time. So I'm sure the coaches have a good practice prepared for us to get us ready. We'll just go over their plays and the defense they're going to run against us. We'll to prepare; we've got to guard their best player, Chambers, and work on guarding their really good post. They'll prepare us in practice today and we'll be ready."