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No. 6 Texas A&M (18-1, 6-0) hosts No. 1 Baylor (18-1, 5-0)
Sunday, January 30, 2011, Reed Arena (12,292)
Tip-Off: 12:00 p.m. CST
TV: FSN
Video/audio/live stats: www.AggieAthletics.com or www.BaylorBears.com
Radio: Texas A&M Sports Network (KZNE 1150 AM); 1660 ESPN AM (KRZI)-Waco; 106.9 FM (KHLE)-Killeen, Fort Hood, Kempner, Copperas Cove; 101.3 FM – Waco; 100.9 FM – Temple
Series: Baylor leads 44-35

Hot Ticket

The first women’s basketball matchup of the season between Big 12 powerhouses No. 1 Baylor (18-1, 5-0) and No. 6 Texas A&M (18-1, 6-0) will not take place until Sunday in College Station but records for the game have already been set. The two teams will battle for the top position in the conference.

The Aggies ticket office sold out all reserved and general admission seats to the game 48 hours before the tipoff, which means that attendance at the game should surpass A&M’s previous record of 11,088 set in February 15, 2006. In that game, the Aggies suffered a defeat at the hands of the Lady Bears, 84-56. A&M’s second largest crowd was also against Baylor, a 60-52 win for the Aggies on January 13, 2007 with an attendance of 8,886.

“It’s a huge week for our program for our program,” said A&M head coach Gary Blair during the “Talking Hoops” radio show on Friday.  He talked about the great rivalries between the two schools and the anticipation leading up to the women’s game on Sunday and the men’s game against Texas on Monday night.

“I’m so excited and for once in my life I’ve got no free tickets in my pockets,” he said, “they’re all gone.”

A&M’s Reed Arena has a capacity of 12,292. The 8,230 seats in the lower bowl were sold out by Tuesday. The schools expect a record student crowd according to A&M. Baylor is only 90 miles northwest of College Station.

This season the Aggies are averaging 4,796 fans per home game. Baylor is averaging 7,469 at the Ferrell Center in Waco.

While Baylor is the top team in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll, A&M is No. 6 in the AP rankings and No. 5 on the coaches’ list. It will be the first time that two top five teams have competed at Reed Arena. Overall in the Big 12, it will be the third ever matchup between two top five teams.

“First off, a No. 1 versus a No. 5 has never happened before at A&M,” said Blair about the matchup. “Baylor was in the Final 4 last year, and they’ve done a great job of building their program, just like Oklahoma. We’re trying to keep the same blueprint going and I think we’re on our way to hopefully accomplishing something that those two teams have done.”

The Squads

Both teams boast players that lead the conference in many statistical categories. Senior Danielle Adams, a 6-1 forward/center, leads the league in scoring (22.9 per game) and offensive rebounds (3.68 per game). Adams, a transfer from junior college, needs just 26 points to reach the 1,000-point career mark at A&M. In the game, she will go up against Baylor’s Brittney Griner, a 6-8 sophomore center from nearby Houston. Griner is second in the league in scoring (22.2 per game) and first in blocked shots (4.95 per game).

Baylor’s freshman point guard Odyssey Sims leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (.481) and is third in field goal percentage (.552). A&M’s starting point guard, senior Sydney Colson, leads the league in assists (6.18 per game) and is third in steals (2.59 per game).

The Aggies and the Lady Bears are the top two teams in the league in scoring margin, field goal percentage, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. Baylor leads the nation in scoring margin (32.4) and blocked shots (7.3 per game).

¹ Big 12 Leader
² No. 2 in Big 12

Common Opponents

A&M and Baylor have had five common opponents so far this season – two in non-conference action and three in league play. The Aggies defeated Rice (80-40), Liberty (81-49), Oklahoma State (82-57), Texas (80-65) and Iowa State (60-51). Baylor swept the same teams: Rice (95-51), Liberty (81-42), Oklahoma State (70-39), Texas (87-72) and Iowa State (70-58).

Records and Standings

Before the regular season began, Baylor and A&M were picked to finish first and second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll. A&M is coming off of two conference road wins. One at No. 20 Iowa State and a Wednesday night victory over No. 12 Oklahoma. The Aggies are on a program-best, 12-game winning streak.

Baylor has won 15 straight games. The Lady Bears had the week off after defeating Texas Tech last Saturday night in Waco, 64-51.

The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net including:

• Fox Sports Arizona
• Fox Sports Detroit
• Fox Sports Florida
• Fox Sports Houston
• Fox Sports Midwest
• Fox Sports North
• FSN Northwest
• Fox Sports Ohio
• FSN Pittsburgh
• FSN Rocky Mountain
• Fox Sports Southwest
• Fox Sports Wisconsin
• Prime Ticket
• Sportsouth
• Comcast California
• Comcast Chicago
• Comcast Philadelphia
• MSG Plus

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This post is related to an ongoing story:

• 2010-11 NCAA Basketball