The Texas A&M women’s basketball team will face No. 1 South Carolina inside Reed Arena at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21.
A&M is coming off of a 71-56 victory over Tennessee on Jan. 14, where its defense held the Lady Vols in check. A&M out rebounded Tennessee 43-34 and held the Lady Vols to their lowest scoring game of the season.
The Maroon and White rank No. 4 in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 51.3 points per game, and are No. 3 in field goal percentage defense and No. 4 in rebounds per game.
“We’re going to just go in there and do our best,” senior guard Sahara Jones said.
A&M holds a trinity of guards that have excelled on the court thus far this season. Jones scored a season-high 15 points on Sunday. The San Antonio native is currently averaging 6.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Senior guard Endyia Rogers averages 18 points per game in SEC play, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Senior guard Aicha Coulibaly led the Aggies in scoring on Sunday with a total of 19 points and has been an X-factor for the Maroon and White, as they are 6-0 when she leads the team in scoring.
South Carolina made its presence known after its second-largest margin of victory over an SEC opponent in program history with a 98-36 win against Kentucky on Jan. 15.
The Gamecocks defense stymied Kentucky, holding the Wildcats to 24.6% shooting from the field and just 2 points within the last 10 minutes of play.
South Carolina is stacked with prolific scorers, including sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins, who is averaging 9.2 points, seven rebounds, 2.9 blocks and one steal per game. Watkins documented her and the program’s second dunk in the Gamecocks’ history in the first quarter on Monday.
SHE THREW IT DOWN 🚨😤@GamecockWBB x 📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/XKXeKdD3go
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) January 16, 2024
Along with Watkins comes senior center Kamilla Cardoso, whose stats speak for themselves. So far this season, Cardoso has averaged 13.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley has led the Gamecocks in scoring five times this season, scoring 14 points on Monday and averaging 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
The Aggies’ matchup with the Gamecocks has been heavily anticipated. This matchup was last seen on December 29, 2022, when South Carolina defeated A&M 76-34. The Maroon and White hold a 1-9 record in their last 10 meetings against the Gamecocks, with their most recent win in February 2021 at Reed Arena for the SEC regular season crown.
With both teams excelling in defense this season and holding their recent opponents to record-low scores, the Aggies will look to break their three-game losing streak to the Gamecocks.
