For years, home season finales for the Texas A&M women's basketball program were played before sparse crowds. The fans' long faces reflected another losing season and not much hope for the future.

That's all changed in the last four seasons, with Senior Day becoming a time to celebrate the players' careers, reflect on another successful season and look forward to the postseason.

That's the case again Tuesday as the 15th-ranked Aggies play host to the 11th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena, the last home game for A&M seniors Damitria Buchanan, Tanisha Smith and Katrina Limbaha. Buchanan and Limbaha were part of a three-member freshman class that included McDonald's All-American Adrian McGowen, who left the program after her freshman season. Smith joined the program as a junior, transferring from Arkansas-Fort Smith.

They've had a fun ride.

A&M is 101-30 (.771) in the last four seasons. That victory total is topped in school history only by last year's senior class of Takia Starks, Danielle Gant and La Toya Micheaux, who were 104-32 (.765). That class came on the heels of a five-member senior group that included Morenike Atunrase, A'Quonesia Franklin and Patrice Reado (93-39, .705).

"These seniors have come in and made an impact; even though we graduated six great players in the last two years, we haven't missed a beat," A&M coach Gary Blair said.

They'll attempt to become the fifth straight class to win on Senior Day and strengthen the Aggies' chances of finishing in the top four in the Big 12 standings, which would earn them a bye for the league tournament next week in Kansas City. A&M (20-7, 8-6) is tied for fourth place with 14th-ranked Baylor (21-7, 8-6), 18th-ranked Texas (19-9, 8-6) and 20th-ranked Oklahoma State (20-8, 8-6) with two games left in the regular season. Those teams are two games back of 13th-ranked Iowa State (22-5, 10-4) and OU (20-8, 10-4), who are tied for second place.

Another challenge facing the seniors is beating OU at home, something the last four classes have accomplished.

Last year's 57-56 victory over the Sooners on ESPN's Big Monday was one of the most memorable in school history. Starks hit a layup with 6 seconds left that toppled the second-ranked Sooners, also ending their 20-game winning streak and denying them a possible 16-0 league mark. The fans rushed the court afterward.

The stakes won't be as high this time and the game isn't on television, but Blair would like to see a crowd that rivals last year's turnout of 7,035 for the seniors' sake.

"This year's senior class and this year's team has lived up to everything they were supposed to be," Blair said. "What we have had to do is get hot in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament and get the momentum flying high."

A&M has won four of its last five games, with the loss to Baylor (65-63), but OU is playing even better. The Sooners have won five of their last seven with the losses to top-ranked Connecticut and third-ranked Nebraska, both unbeaten teams.

Since beating the Aggies 74-65 in Norman on Jan. 17, the Sooners have inserted sophomore Jasmine Hartman at guard, flanking her with Danielle Robinson (16.7 points and 5.2 assists per game) and Nyeshia Stevenson (14.4 ppg). That's created maybe the league's quickest backcourt.

They're complemented by 6-foot-1 forward Amanda Thompson (12.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) and 6-3 center Abi Olajuwon (10.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg). They each had 11 rebounds in the last meeting as OU had a 47-33 edge on the boards.

"They box out on the defensive end better than any team that we've faced," Blair said. "I don't think we're going to shoot 64 percent [from the floor] like we did against Colorado, so that means we've got to get some of our own misses, because their first-shot defense is pretty good."

Stevenson and Robinson sliced through A&M's defense for 44 points and allowed A&M only one fast-break basket last time.

"What we've got to do is get something in transition and get something on offensive rebounds and also get to the free-throw line more than we did at Oklahoma [7 of 15]," Blair said.

Blair could use big games out of his senior starters, which didn't happen the last time the two met. Buchanan had two rebounds and no points in 12 minutes and Smith had eight points on 4-of-13 shooting and fouled out.

Buchanan has scored 22 points in the last two games, hitting 10 of 14 shots. She'd taken only 22 shots combined in the previous 12 games.

"Her ability to score in the last couple of games will make us more multiple dimensional if we can get hot in the Big 12 and NCAA tourneys," Blair said. "She is starting to understand what her strengths and weaknesses are and playing to them."

Smith has bounced back from a four-point effort in a 57-54 loss at Texas Tech to average 15 points, seven rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

"She is starting to look like her old self again," Blair said.

*

NOTES -- The game is on Tuesday night because the A&M men will be home to Oklahoma State on Wednesday. Both A&M teams will be on the road Saturday -- the men at Oklahoma and the women at Kansas. ... Limbaha has a shoulder injury and won't play. She hasn't played since Jan. 23. ... A&M is honoring local heroes at the game -- firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel.

A&M WOMEN'S HOOPS

* Tuesday's game: No. 11 Oklahoma (20-8, 10-4) at No. 15 Texas A&M (20-7, 8-6), 7 p.m.

* TV/radio: None/KZNE, 1150 AM

* Tickets: $5-$11.

LINEUPS

TEXAS A&M (20-7, 8-6 BIG 12)

NAMEPOS.HT.CL.PPGRPG

Sydney CarterG5-6So.7.93.3*

Tanisha SmithF6-0Sr.15.1 5.4

Tyra WhiteG6-0So.10.54.2

Adaora ElonuF6-1So.8.1 4.2

Damitria Buchanan F6-2 Sr.3.34.3

OKLAHOMA (20-8, 10-4)

NAMEPOS.HT.CL.PPGRPG

Danielle RobinsonG5-9 Jr.16.75.2*

Nyeshia Stevenson G5-10Sr.14.44.0

Jasmine HartmanG5-10 So.1.6 1.1

Amanda ThompsonF6-1Sr.12.410.2

Abi Olajuwon C6-3Sr. 10.67.1

*assists per game

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