The Texas women’s basketball team looks to end Iowa State’s eight-game winning streak while furthering its own 13-game winning streak tonight at the Frank Erwin Center.
The Cyclones travel to Austin with a 10-3 record overall and a 2-0 record in Big 12 play. Iowa State’s three losses came in its first five games of the season. Then the Cyclones turned it around and have been undefeated since Dec. 2. One of the notable Cyclones wins came against then-No. 23 Iowa on Dec. 11. Iowa State opened Big 12 play with an 84-79 win against Kansas State in Manhattan and a 49-42 win against Oklahoma State at home.
Texas finished non-conference play 11-0 and opened Big 12 play with a 65-54 win against West Virginia in Morgantown and an 86-62 win against Texas Tech at home. The Longhorns improved to 13-0 on the season, moving up to No. 4 in the NCAA rankings with the University of Connecticut, South Carolina and Notre Dame ahead of them.
Senior center Imani Boyette enters the matchup against the Cyclones as the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week. Boyette finished with double-doubles in both games last week, giving her six double-doubles on the season. Against West Virginia, Boyette scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, tying her season high in rebounds. She also tied her season high in blocked shots with six. Against Texas Tech, Boyette scored 24 points, marking her third 20-point game of the season, and recorded 11 boards. After last week’s performances, Boyette’s career total in points increased to 1,124, moving her to 31st on UT’s all-time points list. Only 38 Longhorns have recorded 1,000-plus points. Boyette currently leads the Longhorns in points per game with 12.9.
Cyclones junior guard Seanna Johnson enters the game with 10 double-doubles on the season, leading the Big 12, and 23 in her career at Iowa State. Johnson averages 17 points per game, ranking fourth in the Big 12, and 10.6 rebounds per game, ranking first in the Big 12. Last season, as a sophomore, Johnson led the Big 12 in average rebounds per game with 9.2.
Besides Boyette, two other Longhorns are averaging double-figures in scoring on the season. Sophomore guards Ariel Atkins and Brooke McCarty are averaging 11.5 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Junior center Kelsey Lang is also coming off a season high 13-point game against Texas Tech and adds an average of 5.2 rebounds per game. The Longhorns are averaging 74.77 points per game while giving up an average of 52.85 points.
Rebounding is still the key for the Longhorn’s victories this season. Texas outrebounds opponents by an average of 13.5 boards per game. The Longhorns secure an average of 44.5 rebounds per game, while giving up an average of 31.
Texas will be looking for its 995th program win tonight. After beating Texas Tech, the Longhorns moved to six wins shy of 1,000. Only four Division I programs have recorded 1,000 plus wins: Tennessee (1,286), Louisiana Tech (1,064), James Madison (1,025) and Old Dominion (1,002).
