The No. 11 Texas A&M women’s basketball team will attempt to extend its winning streak to six games on Thursday at Auburn. Defeating the Tigers would secure the No. 2 seed for the Aggies (20-7, 10-4) in the SEC tournament.
The game will get underway at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcasted on SEC Network Plus.
The Tigers (18-9, 8-6 SEC) have shown gradual improvement this season by winning five of their last six games, and are fighting for their first NCAA tournament bid since 2009. Auburn thrives on forcing turnovers and shutting teams down with their effective zone defense, both of which have given the Aggies trouble in the past.
“They’re the most improved team in the SEC,” senior guard Courtney Walker, the SEC’s leading scorer, said in Tuesday’s press conference. “Some of the things we’ve done not so well are the things that are their specialty.”
With only two games remaining in the regular season and the postseason quickly approaching, head coach Gary Blair said that his attitude changes at this point on the schedule.
“My stress level is as high as it can be on recruiting [and] on coaching,” Blair said. “I’m trying to coach the perfect game. Zero turnovers. I’m trying to call the right plays and make the right subs. I’m always tinkering with everything and I’m always second-guessing myself.”
Even with the added stress, though, Blair said this is his one of his favorite times of the year.
“I love February,” he said. “This is when a coach is worth whatever they’re paying him. It’s can you play well on the road and can you make adjustments at the end?”
The Senior trio of Courtney Walker, Courtney Williams and Chelsea Jennings have all scored in double-figures in each of the past three games, and the Aggies have won their past seven games against Auburn.
Blair said that the Aggies’ second-half comeback against Vanderbilt will give the team momentum going forward.
“We found a way to get it done,” he said. “This team, with senior guards, is resilient and we will find a way.”
Thursday marks the last time that this group of seniors will suit up for a regular season road game, which is something that is certainly not lost on the Aggies. The current senior class has recorded a 95-36 win-loss record in four years and is looking to win as many games as possible in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
“Our mindset is always going to be to play hard and win and just try to have the best outcome we can and go as far as possible,” Walker said. “I think it’s different for us this year, the seniors, just because it’s our last one – our last go-around – and we want to go all the way.”
