By ROBERT CESSNANew York, New York: Texas A&M will play in the Maggie Dixon Classic next season at Madison Square Garden. The Aggies will face Rutgers and Connecticut will take on Ohio State in the Dec. 19 doubleheader.
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Tour guide: Texas A&M graduate assistant A'Quonesia Franklin, who starred at A&M from 2005-08, signed a free-agent contract with the WNBA's Seattle Storm last summer and participated in training camp and preseason games. Franklin, who will be on the A&M radio broadcast this weekend, was called up by the Storm for three regular-season games when former Connecticut player Sue Bird was sidelined with an injury.
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Scouting the Vikings: Portland State was 9-7 in the Big Sky regular season and won the postseason tournament as a No. 5 seed, the lowest-seeded winner in the league's history. The Vikings beat sixth-seeded Montana State, 62-58, for the crown. ... Portland State was 23-10 last season and lost in the second round of the WNIT. ... The Vikings' arena -- the Peter W. Stott Center -- seats only 1,500. ... Portland St. has nonconference losses to Boise State, Portland, Wisconsin, Cal State Fullerton, Oregon, Oregon State and Gonzaga.
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Once before: Portland State defeated A&M 80-76 in the only previous meeting between the two, which came Nov. 17, 2001, in Honolulu.
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Guarding the key: Portland State is led by senior point guard Claire Faucher, who was the Big Sky tournament MVP. A&M junior point guard Sydney Colson said the Aggies will try to pressure and disrupt Faucher.
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