G A M E # 1 2008 NCAA ELITE EIGHT 2007 | 2008 BIG 12 CHAMPIONS TEXAS A&M WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2008|09 SEASON GAME NOTES For Immediate Release | November 13, 2008 | Women’s Basketball SID Marlene Navor | mnavor@athleti cs.tamu.edu 2008-09 SCHEDULE | RESULTS #11/10 TEXAS A&M (0-0) vs. Overall Record | 0-0 | Big 12 Record | 0-0 | MERCER (0-0) Home | 0-0 | Away | 0-0 | Neutral | 0-0 | N 7 HOUSTON JAGUARS (exh.) ..W, 86-43 November 14, 2008 N 14 MERCER....................... 8 p.m. 8:00 p.m. (CT) Reed Arena (12,500) State Farm Tip-Off Classic Record: 0-0 (0-0 Big 12) Record: 0-0 (0-0 Atlanti c Sun) at College Stati on, Texas (Baton Rouge, La.) Ranking: #11 (AP), #10 (Coaches) Ranking: None N 16 vs. Pitt sburgh [ESPN2] ...4 p.m. Last Result: W, 86-43 vs. Houston Last Result: L, 71-72 vs. GSCU Television: None Jaguars (exh.) on 11/7/08 (exh.) on 11/6/08 Up Next: State Farm Tip-Off Up Next: vs. South Carolina State Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network N 20 @ Michigan ..............5:30 p.m. Classic vs. Pitt sburgh on 11/16/08 on 11/18/08 (KZNE 1150 AM) N 25 @ Arizona ..................... 8 p.m. Head Coach: Head Coach: Series History: Texas A&M Leads 1-0 Gary Blair, Sixth Season Janell Jones, Second Season Internet: Free Live Stati sti cs and Live Texas A&M Record: 102-58 (.638) Mercer Record: 4-26 (.133) Video at www.AggieAthleti cs.com Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tournament Career Record: 510-221 (.698) Career Record: 229-50 (.821) (Malibu, Calif.) N 28 vs. Penn State................ 3 p.m. N 29 vs. Pepperdine/ AGGIES HOST MERCER IN SEASON Coppin State ...........3/5:30 p.m. D 2 @ Stephen F. Austi n ......7 p.m. OPENER FRIDAY AT REED ARENA D 7 SMU ............................1 p.m. D 13 TEXAS STATE ................7 p.m. GAME PREVIEW D 21 TCU [ESPNU] ................1 p.m. Just seven months removed from its fi rst-ever NCAA Elite Eight appearance, the No. D 30 NEW MEXICO .............. 7 p.m. 11/10-ranked Texas A&M women’s basketball team (0-0) has reloaded its arsenal and J 3 GEORGE WASHINGTON (DH) ...5 p.m. is ready to keep the momentum going in 2008-09. With the loss of a fi ve-member J 5 @ Florida State ............. 6 p.m. senior class that helped build the A&M program into its current presence on the J 10 @ Missouri* ..................5 p.m. nati onal scene, the Aggies have replenished their talent pool with an exciti ng cast J 13 TEXAS TECH* ............... 7 p.m. of veterans and newcomers who have already earned preseason Big 12 Conference J 18 @ Oklahoma* [FSN] ......3 p.m. nods. A&M will host Mercer (0-0) in its season home opener on Friday, Nov. 14 at J 21 BAYLOR* ......................7 p.m. Reed Arena. Tipoff between the Aggies and Bears is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT) to ac- J 24 @ Oklahoma State* ......6 p.m. J 28 @ Texas* .......................7 p.m. commodate fans wishing to att end both the women’s basketball game and the NCAA J 31 KANSAS* (DH) ............. 4 p.m. women’s soccer fi rst-round match. A&M will get out of the blocks quickly with a F 4 @ Iowa State* ...............7 p.m. weekend schedule that includes two games in three days. A fi rst-ever appearance in F 8 NEBRASKA* .................2 p.m. the presti gious four-team State Farm Women’s Tip-Off Classic awaits the Aggies on F 11 @ Texas Tech* ...............7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16 on the campus of LSU in Baton Rouge, La. A&M will be challenged F 14 COLORADO* ................2 p.m. early on in the season by NCAA Sweet 16 parti cipant Pitt sburgh (0-0) via an ESPN2 F 21 TEXAS* [FSN] .............11 a.m. showdown set for 4 p.m. (CT). F 23 OKLAHOMA* [ESPN2] ....6:30 p.m. M 1 @ Kansas State* [FSN] ... Noon M 5 OKLAHOMA STATE* [FSN] .. 7 p.m. GAME PROMOTIONS M 7 at Baylor* .................7:30 p.m. The Aggies will host Fish Camp and T-Camp Night Friday at Reed Arena. Fans who wear their Fish Camp or T-Camp shirts will receive free admission to the game. Tick- Big 12 Championship ets are also available for purchase ranging from $5 for general admission to $11 for March 12-15, 2009 courtside seati ng at the Reed Arena Box Offi ce on game day or in advance at the 12th (Cox Conventi on Center, Man Foundati on Ticket Center or by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE. Oklahoma City, Okla.) HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS AGGIES IN OPENERS All Times Are Listed In Central Time (CT) The Aggies are 15-3 all-ti me in home openers and have won their last fi ve consecu- ( ) Denotes Doubleheader ti ve opening day contests at Reed Arena including a 73-54 victory versus Prairie View [ ] Denotes TV Game A&M in 2007-08. A&M is 2-0 when opening up the season at home in the Gary Blair * Denotes Big 12 Conference Game Era which includes a 77-36 rout of Saint Peter’s in 2005-06 and a 72-48 win over Pep- perdine in 2006-07. 1 2008 | 09 TEXAS A&M WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES PPROBABLEROBABLE SSTARTERSTARTERS SCOUTING MERCER Like the Aggies, Mercer played one exhibiti on game prior to the season opener and were edged, 72-71, by NCAA Division II Georgia College & #3 TAKIA STARKS *Denotes 2007-08 Stati sti cs State University on Nov. 6. The Bears begin a four-game road swing G | 5-8 | Sr. | Houston, Texas (Westf ield) which will also includes stops at South Carolina State, Louisiana-Lafay- ett e and South Alabama, prior to their Atlanti c Sun Conference slate. QUICK NOTES - Team’s top returning scorer and a two- ti me All-Big 12 First Team selecti on. Named a preseason Mercer was picked to fi nish ti ed for eighth in the A-Sun preseason me- fi rst team All-American by The Sporti ng News. dia poll looking to rebound from a 4-26 mark in 2007-08. The Bears are led by second-year head coach Janell Jones who is a nati ve Oklaho- PTS REB MIN LAST GAME man who previously coached at Oklahoma City University and UC San Diego. *16.3 *4.3 *34.6 11 PTS, 5 ASTS SERIES HISTORY #22 TANISHA SMITH Texas A&M leads 1-0 in the all-ti me series versus the Bears. Only two G/F | 6-0 | Jr.-Tr. | Kansas City, Mo. (UA-Fort Smith) of the current players on Mercer’s 17-member roster, seniors Megan QUICK NOTES - Tabbed Preseason Big 12 Conference Lewis and Nicole Leonard, played in the fi rst and only meeti ng between Newcomer of the Year. Former JUCO All-American who the two schools on Nov. 16, 2006 in College Stati on. The Aggies nearly averaged 18.2 points and 5.2 rebounds UA-Fort Smith. cleared the century mark with a 95-41 result over Mercer. PTS REB MIN LAST GAME OKLAHOMA ROOTS The Oklahoma ti es will run deep in Friday’s ballgame as fi ve players on None None None 10 PTS, 6 REB the Mercer roster hail from the Sooner State. Mercer seniors Natasha Doh and Dominique Chism both have Big 12 Conference playing expe- #55 DANIELLE GANT rience as transfers from Oklahoma State. Doh is a former Putnam City G/F | 5-11 | Sr. | Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City West) West High School teammate of Texas A&M’s Danielle Gant who was QUICK NOTES - Returning All-Big 12 First Team standout the state Gatorade Player of the Year in 2005. and team’s top rebounder in 2007-08. One of the most versati le Aggies who can play all fi ve positi ons. THIS IS HOME The Aggies have protected their home court well over the last three PTS REB MIN LAST GAME seasons with an unprecedented 44-4 (.917) overall success rate at *14.7 *7.1 *32.9 12 PTS, 2 BLKS Reed Arena. A&M posted a 14-2 mark at the venue a year ago and carry a six-game home court win streak into Friday night’s contest. The #21 ADAORA ELONU Aggies went a school-best 16-0 at Reed Arena during the 2006-07 cam- F | 6-1 | Fr. | Houston, Texas (Alief Elsik) paign. QUICK NOTES - Rated the No. 49 overall prospect and the sixth-best power forward in the Class of 2008. TTEXASEXAS AA&M&M NNUMERICALUMERICAL RROSTEROSTER Younger sister of A&M men’s player Chinemelu Elonu. No. Player Ht. Pos. Year-Exp. Hometown (Previous School) PTS REB MIN LAST GAME 1 Kiley Finstad G 5-9 Sr.-1L Cranfi lls Gap, Texas (Meridian HS) 2 Damitria Buchanan F 6-2 Jr.-2L Houston, Texas (Jones HS) None None None 13 PTS, 5 REB 3 Takia Starks G 5-8 Sr.-3L Houston, Texas (Westf ield HS) 4 Sydney Carter G 5-6 Fr.-HS DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto HS) #12 LA TOYA MICHEAUX 12 La Toya Micheaux C 6-3 Sr.-3L Missouri City, Texas (Hightower HS) C | 6-3 | Sr. | Missouri City, Texas (Hightower) 15 Maryann Baker G 5-10 So.-1L Dallas, Texas (Bishop Lynch HS) 20 Tyra White G 6-0 Fr.-RS Kansas City, Mo.