Texas A&M women’s basketball crushed the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Thursday, Nov. 30, as the Aggies cruised to a 81-57 win on the road. The victory, part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, is A&M’s third straight win away from Reed Arena.
In the first quarter, the Aggies and the Demon Deacons both struggled shooting the ball, as the teams shot a combined 10-33 from the field. A&M made only 25% of its field goals in the period, but it benefited greatly from Wake Forest’s four turnovers and five personal fouls.
All 18 of the Maroon and White’s points in the first came off of Wake Forest’s turnovers, and they also shot 6-8 from the free throw line. The first quarter ended with A&M leading, 18-16.
The second quarter was much smoother for the Aggies, as they landed 10 of their 16 shots. A&M dominated on the boards as well, out-rebounding Wake Forest 12-5 in the frame. In addition, the Aggies defense stepped up, tallying a pair of blocks to go with only 13 points allowed.
Senior guard Aicha Coulibaly was active in the second, recording 5 points, two rebounds and a steal. The Aggies outscored the Demon Deacons 24-13 in the second quarter to give them a commanding 42-29 lead at the break.
At the start of the second half, A&M kept its momentum going, as the team went on a 4-0 run to begin the third. After turning over the ball, sophomore forward Janiah Barker forced a turnover of her own with a quick steal. Coulibaly then put in another layup to make it 46-29 in favor of the Aggies.
Despite only making one of their five 3-point attempts, the Maroon and White continued to shoot well from the field overall, hitting nine of their 17 shots in the third. The Demon Deacons, on the other hand, shot a poor 5-17. A&M finished the quarter with a 61-45 advantage.
The fourth quarter was the Aggies’ best of the evening, where they outscored the Demon Deacons 20-12. Like in the first quarter, the Aggies scored 18 points off of six Demon Deacons’ turnovers.
The Maroon and White had yet another great shooting display in the frame, shooting 50%. A&M was up by as many as 28, and it kept its foot on the gas to seal the 81-57 win.
Redshirt junior forward Lauren Ware had a phenomenal game for the Aggies, logging a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
A&M had five players in double figures, and Barker led the team in points with 14. This was also the Aggies’ third true road game win this season after having zero last year.
The Aggies will look to claim their third-straight victory when they host the Kansas Jayhawks at Reed Arena on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m.