The Texas A&M women’s basketball team hit the road to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sunday, Feb. 26. The 78-65 loss marks the final game of the regular season, as the Aggies sit at 7-19 overall and 2-14 in conference play. For Arkansas, the win brings them to 6-9 in conference play and 19-11 overall.
The Aggies have struggled with offense all season but have produced some game-changing defense against their opponents. However, it was not enough to stop a dominating Razorback offense. The Razorbacks created momentum as soon as they hit the hardwood. The squad scored the first seven points of the game and had a 20-10 edge over the Aggies to end the first quarter.
The Aggies had a chance to stay in the fight in the second quarter when freshman guard Sydney Bowles knocked down a 3-pointer to bring A&M within six points of the lead. The attempt was short-lived when Arkansas responded with a run that brought the lead back up to 13 points.
Sophomore guard Samara Spencer led Arkansas in scoring with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Redshirt senior forward Erynn Barnum matched senior guard Makayla Daniels in scoring with 12 points each.
While the maroon and white showed shooting improvement, the Razorbacks found their slot from the 3-point line, where the Aggies gave up 39 points and allowed Arkansas to shoot 38%. The Aggies shot 62% from the field and 37% from the 3-point line.
Getting shots to fall for the Aggies were freshman guard Sydney Bowles and freshman forward Janiah Barker. Barker led the Aggies with 17 points and six rebounds, while Bowles followed with 14 points and a career high in 3-point field goals, where she was 4-8.
Fifth-year forward Aaliyah Patty and sophomore forward Jada Malone got it done under the basket for A&M with nine points each. Malone also picked up six rebounds, while Patty registered five rebounds.
At the end of the third quarter, the Aggies outscored the Razorbacks 12-3 to cut the lead to 60-46. Arkansas continued to use 3-pointers to grow the lead, ultimately stopping the Aggies from having a chance.
The Aggies will hit the road again to Greenville, South Carolina, for the SEC Tournament. The Aggies are the No. 13 seeding in the tournament and are scheduled to play the No. 12 Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday, March 1. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m.