The No. 18 Texas A&M women’s basketball team welcomed the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers to Reed Arena on Tuesday night for some non-conference action. The Aggies took the victory 98-70 to improve to 5-1 on the year, while the Lady Panthers fall to 2-3 with the loss.
“We played a lot of people and it got a little bit sloppy,” head coach Gary Blair said. “Prairie View didn’t give up, they played harder than us in the second half, so when I went to the double low post in the second quarter and I wanted to see us pound the ball when we finally got into the set I wanted.”
The first half went a little sloppy for the Aggies, as Blair said. The Aggies took a small six-point lead into the end of the first quarter as senior center Khaalia Hillsman led the team with eight points. The second quarter was cleaner for the Aggies as they outscored the Lady Panthers 28-12 to take a 49-27 lead into the half.
“My shot selection [was better tonight],” Hillsman said. “The guards did a good job of getting me the ball in good spots, but sometimes I let the defense push me out of the lane. This game I focused on not taking jump hooks as much because those aren’t falling for me right now.”
The Aggies cruised in the second half, despite constant pressure from the Lady Panthers. PVAMU actually ended up beating A&M in the third quarter by a score of 27-23, the only quarter the Aggies were outscored. A&M never let the Lady Panthers back in the game though, as the Aggies cruised to a blowout victory.
Every A&M player played and scored. Hillsman led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds, as junior Danni Williams had 15 points and three rebounds. Following the lead, senior Jasmine Lumpkin had 13 points and four assists, and freshman Chennedy Carter had 12 points, while adding six assists and five rebounds.
The Aggies will be back in action tomorrow as they host the Rice Owls at Reed Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.