With 30 seconds left in the game, the No. 19 Texas A&M women’s basketball team led USC 73-68. However, USC guard Sadie Edwards then netted back-to-back three pointers and gave her team a 74-73 lead with 20 seconds to go.
With no timeouts remaining, A&M freshman guard Chennedy Carter quickly drove the ball down the court and hit a fadeaway jump shot over two USC defenders to retake the lead 75-74 with 10.9 seconds to play. USC missed two shots in the remaining seconds of the game, and A&M clinched the 75-74 win.
Carter’s last jumpshot added to her total of 46 points in the game, surpassing a school record of 40 points set by Danielle Adams in 2011. Carter also set the A&M record for most field goals made in a game with 17.
Carter attributed her record-setting night to her teammates putting her in the right position to sink shots in tandem with her immense effort.
“My teammates were a big part of me being successful in shooting tonight. They got me open, they ran plays for me, they ran screens,” Carter said to 12thMan.com. “I was just out there playing to win, I wanted to win so bad, it took so much out of me, I’m dog tired,” Carter said.
The Aggies needed Carter to show up big in a highly-contested game that featured 17 lead changes and 13 ties. The offensive production from A&M’s usual suspects was muted, forcing Carter to commandeer the scoring effort which she did. Carter either scored or assisted on 23 of the Aggies 27 made field goals.
Junior guard Danni Williams was second in scoring for A&M, chipping in 11 points. However, Williams failed to hit a three-point shot for the fourth-straight game, going 0-for-7 from behind the arc. Senior center Khaalia Hillsman struggled offensively as well, sinking just 2-of-6 shots from the field and finishing with just six points.
Despite the lack of production, A&M head coach Gary Blair said that it is a positive thing to see different players step up when others have an off night.
“It’s so good for our whole team to realize that some nights it might be Chennedy [who has the hot hand], the next night it might be Khaalia and the next it may be Danni,” Blair said. “I’m just so glad to be coaching this team.”
The night was special, even to Blair who has been part of numerous record-breaking performances in his 32-year collegiate coaching career.
“It was one of the best exhibitions of shooting the basketball creating her own shot from the three to driving to midrange to setting up her teammates, she did it all.”
The Aggies will now be in celebratory mode as they head to sightsee in California before they head to Las Vegas.
“We’re going to Disneyland and sightseeing and we’re going to celebrate tomorrow and then get back to business,” Carter said.
The Aggies will return to action on Wednesday, as they kick off the “Duel in the Desert” tournament in Las Vegas with a game against Hawaii. The game is set to tip off at 2 p.m.