“We’re going to get the win and it’s going to be soon,” said Texas A&M women’s head backetball coach Gary Blair. “That’s all I’m going to promise.”
It is becoming a familiar mantra, but for the first time in nearly a month Texas A&M women’s basketball will be playing a team that is its statistical equal, Iowa State, this Saturday at 7 p.m.
Like the Aggies, Iowa State (9-8, 2-4 Big 12) is an unranked team that shoots about 40 percent from the floor.
But there are two reasons the Aggies (7-11, 0-7) will be going into this game with more intensity than ever before: the Iowa State Cyclones beat both No. 21
Oklahoma and No. 7 Texas Tech, and the Aggies have yet to win a Big 12 game. Blair said although the Cyclones are unranked, they are still a great team that is on the verge of being in the top 25.
“Iowa State is one of the best zone teams in the country,” Blair said. “If you are good at it and you are able to rebound off of it, (zone) is a very effective defense.”
Blair said that may give more playing time to shooting guards Mindy Garrison and Erica Roy to compensate for the zone defense forcing outside shots.
“I have three (shooting) guards that can all shoot the ball well,” Blair said. “But you have to play both sides of the court because you can’t substitute out after we shoot the ball.”
Senior point guard Toccara Williams will lead the team once again and is within 13 steals of the Big 12 record for steals (418).
“What we have to do is some shots off transition offense,”Blair said.
Williams’ career high steals is nine during the Jan. 25 game against Texas.
Last Saturday’s loss to Tech in Lubbock was the first game in Williams’ 101 game career she did not record a steal.
The Aggies were 7-4 in nonconference play, but they have dropped seven straight to Big 12 teams. The Aggies have been able to keep thier dignity through January with only one win, versus Texas State on Jan. 3, by suffering close loses to only ranked teams.
The only non-ranked opponent the Aggies have lost to in January was Oklahoma State, and that loss was a last second defeat by two points.
The rivalry game againt Texas, which Texas coach Jody Conradt described as her team surviving, came down to the final minute and was decided by two points.
Texas freshman forward Tiffany Jackson, Texas’ top scorer in their 64-62 win over the Aggies, said that the crowd noise at Reed Arena interferred with the Longhorns play.
“The crowd was going loud after they got up early,” Jackson said.
Blair said the strong student support is an important part of the team’s performance.
“I’d like to thank the students for what they did at that last game, they really are difference makers,” Blair said.
Blair said that he hopes a 500 bobblehead giveaway, and halftime BMX show will help bring spectators to Saturday’s game.
“This is Super Bowl weekend; you got (A&M men’s basketball versus) Texas, you got us playing Iowa State and you got Carolina playing New England,” Blair said. “What else are you going to do this weekend, no one is going to be studying?”