AUSTIN (KXAN) — Going up against one of the best defensive teams in the country on Saturday, the No. 10 Texas Longhorns are trying to make sure their shooting isn’t as cold as the single-digit temperatures in Manhattan, Kansas.
The Longhorns (16-1, 3-1 Big 12 Conference) left Austin earlier than originally planned, straight into the incoming arctic blast, to make it to The Little Apple for their Big 12 game against the No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats. It tips off at 1 p.m. CT from Bramlage Coliseum and will air on ESPNU.
Head coach Vic Schaefer understands it’s a tall order to go into K-State’s house and beat them, especially with how they defend. The Wildcats (16-1, 4-0) are second in the country in field goal percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot 31.5% from the field on average. And they’re fifth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just over 51 points per game. Anchored by 6-foot-6 center Ayoka Lee in the paint, the Wildcats’ defense is stout.
“It’s pretty scary going into Manhattan to play against a team like that,” Schaefer said. “They’ve to great chemistry on that end of the floor, and they’ve got the aircraft carrier inside. If you get off the bounce, there’s 6-foot-6 waiting for you, ready to throw it in the fifth row.”
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To complement their tough interior defense, the Wildcats are also No. 2 in the country in 3-point shooting percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot a measly 22.1% from long distance. Schaefer said his team has to “have a plan” when attempting to put the ball in the bucket because the opportunities won’t come as often as they typically do.
“You’ve got to have a good understanding, and I think our kids understand where we can get them,” Schaefer said.
From a size perspective, the Longhorns don’t have anyone who can match up with Lee, so running the offense while she’s on the floor will look slightly different. Senior guard Shay Holle said it’s going to take a team effort to slow Lee down.
“We’ve been focusing on ball pressure a lot in practice, and we’ve got to have help-side defense,” she said. “One person won’t be able to handle all of that, so it’ll be a team effort for sure.”
Texas is coming off a 72-60 win over TCU at home Wednesday, a victory that Schaefer called “ugly,” but they still got the job done. When TCU cut the Longhorns’ lead to one point with 0:55 left in the third quarter, Texas responded and held the Horned Frogs off, stretching their lead to 53-48 by the end of the frame.
“It’s never easy in our league,” Schaefer said. “We’re back on the road and we’ve got to play on Tuesday on another short turnaround. It’s the grind.”
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