Texas A&M saw its undefeated streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon, as the Aggies (5-1) fell to No. 11 Ohio State 95-80 in the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A&M’s trio of senior leaders – Courtney Williams, Courtney Walker and Jordan Jones – all reached double figures in scoring, the 16^th time in their careers that has happened, but it wasn’t enough as the Buckeyes rallied for the victory.
The Aggies could not stop Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell, who converted 12-of-20 field goals and 15-of-16 free throws en route to 42 points. Williams’ 42 points marks the most points that A&M has allowed an opposing player since 1980, when Pepperdine’s Fannie Allen poured in 43.
Texas A&M started the game fast, jumping out to a 19-4 lead, but the Buckeyes (4-2) were not going to be denied. Ohio State worked their way back in the second quarter and trimmed the Aggies’ halftime lead to 38-36.
The Buckeyes proceeded to dominate the third quarter, outscoring the Aggies 27-13, and pushed their lead to 15 in the fourth.
Williams led the Aggies in scoring with 21 and also grabbed six rebounds while Walker, who played all 40 minutes of the game, recorded 20 points and nine rebounds. Walker’s scoring output moved her into sixth place on the A&M all-time scoring list.
Jones filled up the stat sheet, scoring 12 points to go along with seven assists and four three-pointers made.
The Aggies will get back on the court on Friday, December 4, against Hawaii as part of the Tom Weston Invitational in Laie, Hawaii. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.