Game Information
Cornell at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
Tip Off: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012; 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Records: Cornell (5-3, 0-0 Ivy); Texas A&M - Corpus Christi (0-8, 0-0 Southland)
Series Record: Cornell leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Cornell won 66-40 (12/30/07)
Live Stats: www.GoIslanders.com
Live Audio: None
Video Webcast: www.GoIslanders.com

Cornell at TexasTip Off: Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012; 1:00 p.m.
Location: Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Records: Cornell (5-3, 0-0 Ivy); Texas (6-1, 0-0 Big XII)
Series Record: First meeting
Live Stats: www.TexasSports.com
Live Audio: www.TexasSports.com
Video Webcast: N/A

Game Notes (PDF)

THE MATCHUP: After a 17-day break for final exams, the Cornell women's basketball team will head south for a two-game set at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Dec. 18, followed by a contest at perennial national power Texas on Thursday, Dec. 20.  Cornell won three of its last four prior to the exam break and is looking for its first 6-3 start since the 2000-01 campaign.
 
ABOUT TEXAS A&M - CORPUS CHRISTI: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi brings an 0-8 record into a contest against Texas State on Dec. 15 with seven of its losses coming by double figures. Janae Blount leads the team in scoring at 12.1 ppg. and also paces the squad in steals (17)  and blocks (3) and is second in assists (11). Ashley Darley (8.6 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 2.0 spg.) and Jessica Jammer (5.9 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) have also been major contributors for the Islanders. TAMUCC has struggled offensively, shooting under 30 percent for the season and 22 percent from 3-point range and has nearly three times as many turnovers as assists. Opponents are shooting 46 percent from the floor overall and 37 percent from beyond the arc. First-year head coach Royce Chadwick has won more than 550 games as a head coach at Marshall, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, Oklahoma Panhandle State and Howard Junior College with seven NCAA tournament appearances.
 
THE SERIES VS. TEXAS A&M - CORPUS CHRISTI: Cornell won the only previous meeting between the teams, topping the Islanders 66-40 on Dec. 30, 2007 in the consolation game of the Dayton Flyer Classic. Senior Moina Snyder had 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in the win, while Jeomi Maduka had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Big Red.
 
CORNELL VS. THE SOUTHLAND: Cornell has a 1-1 all-time record against the Southland Conference, including 1-0 against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi.The Big Red has also faced Southeastern Louisiana (0-1), while never having met Central Arkansas, Lamar, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. Coach Smith is 1-0 all-time against Southland teams.
 
A CORNELL WIN OVER TEXAS A&M CORPUS-CHRISTI WOULD:
• improve the Big Red's record to 6-3.
• make Cornell 2-0 all-time against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi.
• give the Big Red a 4-1 road record in 2012-13.
 
LAST TIME VS. THE ISLANDERS:
• Moina Snyder had one of the most complete games of her Cornell career as her 15 points, career-high 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocks led the Big Red women's basketball team to a 66-40 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the consolation game of the Dayton Flyer Classic.
• Jeomi Maduka registered her 14th career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Classmates Kayleen Fitzsimmons and Shannan Scarselletta registered nine points apiece for Cornell, while Lauren Benson dished out a career-high nine assists.
• The Islanders were led by Mercedes Cooper with 13 points.
•  The Big Red held the TAMUCC to just 26.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Islanders 59-34.
 
ABOUT TEXAS: Texas brought a top 20 national ranking and a 5-1 record into non-conference games against Louisiana-Monroe (Dec. 11) and Tennessee (Dec. 16) prior to meeting the Big Red. Four players are averaging double figures for the Longhorns, with Nneka Enemkpali (20.5 ppg., 13.7 rpg., 2.0 bpg.) leading the way inside and Chassidy Fussell (17.6 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 10-of-21 3-pointers) spearheading the outside attack. Cokie Reed (10.3 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and Chelsea Bass (11.0 ppg.) also playing big roles, while point guard Celina Rodrigo (5.3 apg., 2.0 spg.) has directed the offense with Imani McGee-Stafford (8.7 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 3.0 bpg.) also providing a strong post preference. As a team, the Longhorns are shooting 43 percent from the floor and have limited opponents to 31 percent shooting while dominating on the backboards (+18.2) and outscoring foes by 20.3 ppg. Just two starters return from last season's 18-14 squad that dropped an NCAA first round game. First-year head coach Karen Aston has posted a 106-64 record in six years at Charlotte, North Texas and now Texas.
 
THE SERIES VS. TEXAS: This will be the first-ever meeting between the Longhorns and the Big Red.
 
CORNELL VS. THE BIG XII: Cornell has a 0-2 all-time record against the Big XII Conference, and will be meeting Texas for the first time.Cornell is 0-1 against both TCU and West Virginia, but has never faced Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State,  or Texas Tech. Coach Smith is 0-2 all-time against Big XII teams.
 
A CORNELL WIN OVER TEXAS A&M CORPUS-CHRISTI WOULD:
• improve the Big Red's record to 6-3.
• make Cornell 2-0 all-time against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi.
• give the Big Red a 4-1 road record in 2012-13.
 
100 WINS AND COUNTING: Head Coach Dayna Smith is already the winningest coach in Cornell history, and she reached the 100-win mark for her career with the team's victory over Manhattan. She has since added to that and has 102 career coaching wins.
 
HOME SWEET HOME: The games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and the University of Texas will serve as a home coming for Lone Star State natives Kristina Danielak (Georgetown, Texas) and Aspen Chandler (Dallas, Texas).
 
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Junior Aspen Chandler comes from a long line of athletes. Her father, Brian Hopgood, had a successful professional basketball career playing in the various domestic and overseas leagues. Collegiately, he played at University of Louisville and Oklahoma City University. While at OCU, he led his team to the NAIA national championship and was a two-time All-American. Her cousin Shelton Johnson plays football for the University of Wisconsin and her grandfather Wayne Long ran track and field in college.
 
STUDYING THE OPPONENTS: Since the 1980-81 season, the Big Red is 12-19 coming out of Cornell's two-week study break. However, Coach Smith's teams have fared much better, posting a record of 7-3 in the first game back from exams … This season, the Big Red will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coming out of the break. Cornell is 1-0 all-time against the Islanders with a 66-40 win during the 2007-08 season.
 
UP NEXT: Cornell will have more than a week off before returning home to face William & Mary on Sunday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall.