On Thursday, Feb. 10, Texas A&M women’s basketball took down the Vanderbilt Commodores for the Aggies’ third straight win, the first such streak in nearly two months. A&M improved to 14-9 with a 4-7 record in conference play.
“That drive for five,” coach Gary Blair said after the game. “Whatever it takes to get to five [conference wins.] That’s where we are.”
On Sunday, Feb. 13, the Aggies got their chance to secure that fifth SEC victory, but fell short at the hands of the No. 14 LSU Tigers.
Graduate guard Kayla Wells, who scored 19 points in the teams’ previous outing, continued her hot scoring streak with a 23-point performance along with four rebounds and three assists. Wells has scored double digits in all but one game this season.
Senior forward Aaliyah Patty had a strong performance down low for A&M, earning her fourth double-double of the season. The Ohio State transfer scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Unlike in the game against the Commodores, who shot 32.7% from the field, the Aggies struggled defensively against the Tigers. A&M gave up 44 rebounds to LSU, 13 being offensive rebounds. The Tigers also scored 74 points to the Aggies’ 58.
Two LSU players dropped 25 points each: Alexis Morris, a fifth-year guard, and Khayla Pointer, a graduate guard. Blair called LSU’s guard tandem “the best combination of guards in the league.”
“I give her credit for the ball-screening action late because we couldn’t guard them off of the screen,” Blair said. “What we are is a half-court defensive team and a half-court offensive team. When those things let down, you get outrebounded and everyone’s trying to be a hero.”
A&M led by six at halftime, but, as has been a challenge for the team all season, struggled to keep consistent through all four quarters. The Aggies were outscored 47-25 in the final half of action.
“We talk about it all the time; basketball is a game of ebbs and flows,” junior guard Jordan Nixon said. “We found our flow in the first half and LSU did in the third quarter. They found their flow and they stayed with it. We were not able to come back. We took a punch and never recovered from it.”
The Aggies hit the road again for a matchup with the University of Mississippi on Thursday, Feb. 17. The game against the Rebels starts at 8 p.m. as the Aggies continue to “drive for five.”
Editor’s Note: Jordan Nixon is an opinion writer for The Battalion.
