Already well over its win total from last season, Texas A&M women’s basketball came into its matchup against No. 1 South Carolina riding high after knocking off Tennessee for its second conference win.
The Gamecocks decisively knocked the Aggies back down to Earth, walloping A&M 99-64. The Maroon and White’s chance for recovery will have to come on the road, as the Aggies head to Columbia, Missouri to take on the Missouri Tigers.
The last time these two schools faced off against each other, Missouri blew out the Aggies, winning 61-35 in a contest that was all but decided by halftime.
Now, with a slew of impact transfers and top-100 recruits, the Tigers will be facing off against a completely different A&M team than they did last season.
Despite nearly surrendering triple-digits points in its last matchup, A&M is still No. 15 in the country in scoring defense, only allowing 52.4 points per game.
This is due in large part to junior forward Lauren Ware, who comes in tied for 21 nationally in blocks with 39. The Bismarck, North Dakota native is also top-50 in rebounds with 161.
Rebounding as a whole has been a major strength for the Aggies, as on the glass, A&M is No. 6 in rebounds per game, No. 12 in rebound margin and No. 10 in offensive rebounds per game.
On the offensive end, the Maroon and White come in No. 75 in scoring offense, led by graduate guard Endyia Rogers, who averages 12.8 points per game. However, while A&M’s scoring numbers seem serviceable, its 3-point shooting percentage is not.
The Aggies are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country, coming in No. 304 nationally. Only freshman G Sole Williams and Rogers shoot over 30% from beyond the arc. They’re also the only Aggies to make at least 20 3s.
The same cannot be said of A&M’s opponent.
The Tigers are one of the nation’s better 3-point shooting teams, coming in No. 29 in 3-point percentage, 23rd in 3-pointers per game and No. 46 in 3s attempted per game.
For Missouri, it has five players who have taken at least 60 3s and are over 30% from beyond the arch. Leading the way offensively for the Tigers is graduate F Hayley Frank who averages 17.3 points per game on 38.3% shooting from 3. Freshman G Grace Slaughter is Missouri’s most efficient scorer, shooting 41.7% from deep and 49.5% from the field.
The real problem for the Tigers hasn’t been their offense, it’s been their inability to stop their opponents’.
Missouri is No. 275 in the country in scoring defense, giving up at least 70 points in eight of its 19 games. The Tigers are also tied for 145th in rebound margin, only averaging 2.1 more rebounds than their opponent.
It also won’t be easy sledding for the Tigers’ offense either, as A&M is No. 23 in 3-point defense, holding opponents to just 26.1% shooting from 3.
While the Aggies cannot shoot from beyond the arch nearly as well as Missouri, their defensive physicality could be a problem for the Tigers, who are only averaging 59 points in the three games played against top-50 defenses.
