The Texas A&M women’s basketball team carries a three-game winning streak into Tuesday night as it hosts the University of Texas at San Antonio in the home opener of the “Blair Hoops Project” at Reed Arena.
The Aggies (3-1) defeated Cleveland State in San Marcos Saturday, 85-58 and were led by five players who recorded double digits, four of whom are freshmen.
“These freshman are not afraid of anything,” said A&M head coach Gary Blair. “We may not get it right the first time, but the second time they seem to pick it up. They are such good kids, and they’re cheering for each other. That’s hard for kids because they all want their minutes.”
A&M freshman Patrice Reado accounted for 14 points on the night, with three rebounds, two steals and shot six-of-nine from the field.
The Roadrunners (1-3) are coming off a 1-1 split at the Hampton Inn/UTSA Thanksgiving Classic last weekend, where they defeated Prairie View A&M, 88-44 on Friday, and lost a tight contest to Seton Hall, 60-59, Saturday.
Standouts for UTSA include senior Lyndsey Greer, who notched a career-high 14 points against Seton Hall. Freshman Richelle Parks was named to the All-Tournament team after the weekend, capping her second double-double performance of her young career with 11 rebounds and 11 points.
“I thought we fought really hard,” said UTSA head coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair. “We received an outstanding effort (Saturday), and if we can sustain that throughout the season, I will be happy.”
Rippetoe-Blair said defense is the key to the team’s success. Last season, UTSA was ranked 20th nationally in scoring defense and allowed opponents only 57.1 points per game, with opponents shooting only 37.5 percent from the field.
The Aggies have not squared off against UTSA since a 67-54 A&M victory in December 2000, with A&M leading the all-time series 8-4.
Other key players for the Aggies include freshman Morenike Atunrase, who posted 13 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists against Cleveland State, and A’Quonesia Franklin, who scored 11 points.
“I like my team at this point,” Blair said. “But, the competition is getting ready to get a lot tougher than what we faced (against Cleveland State.)”