While the Texas A&M women’s basketball team’s defense made the trip to Baton Rouge, La., the offense looked to have stayed behind in College Station, as the Aggies suffered a 74-34 defeat to No. 7 LSU on Thursday, Jan. 5, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
An impressive defensive performance against the highest-scoring team in the nation was overshadowed by a rough outing on the other end of the court. Points came at a premium for A&M, as it failed to muster up more than 9 points in a quarter until the fourth, when it scored 13.
The Maroon and White’s shooting percentages tell the story of the contest, as the Aggies shot just 21.2% from the field, including a 9.1% clip from 3-point range. Additionally, A&M only sank four of nine free throws and was outrebounded 58-37. That won’t win many games in the SEC.
In addition to taking on the Tigers, the team continued to battle injuries as well, competing with just seven of the 12 players on its roster for the third time this season. The loss of playmakers such as freshman forward Janiah Barker, sophomore guard Tineya Hylton and senior center Sydnee Roby has forced younger and less experienced players to step up in the lineup over the past month.
“The score doesn’t indicate it, but we did some really good things,” coach Joni Taylor said. “We are rebuilding, and so this year is what that is, and so it’s about trusting the process. For us, it’s about how you measure success when it doesn’t come in a win, and we did some good things tonight.”
Four Aggies tallied at least 34 minutes of gametime, with junior guard Kay Kay Green leading with 39.
Freshman guard Sydney Bowles paced A&M with 11 points, while sophomore guard Eriny Kindred and graduate forward Aaliyah Patty each added 7. Patty had seven rebounds and two blocks, as well.
But it was LSU’s sophomore forward Angel Reese that stole the show, dropping 26 points and grabbing a school-record 28 rebounds. The Maryland transfer grabbed 12 of the Bayou Bengals’ 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 17 second-chance points on the night. The performance continues a terrific season for Reese, who ranks sixth in the country in points per game, with 23.9, and first in rebounds per game, with 14.9.
While giving up 74 points may not be eye-popping, the score falls 18.4 points under LSU’s average scoring output this season, continuing a trend for A&M in which it has held each opponent this season under its average points per game. The Tigers also shot 38.3% from the field, only the second time they’ve been held under 40% in a contest this campaign.
The Aggies opened the game with a promising first quarter, limiting LSU to just 8 points, its lowest number of points in a quarter this year, albeit while being held to a mere 6 points themselves. However, the Tigers began the second quarter on a 14-1 run and never looked back, entering halftime with a 34-12 advantage as A&M still struggled to muster up anything offensively.
The scoring woes continued after the break, as LSU jump-started the third quarter with a 9-0 run and capped it off with a 13-0 scoring streak. The fourth quarter was much more even, as the Aggies’ 13 points slightly trailed the 14 by the Tigers, but it was far too little, too late.
“I’m proud of our fight, because with seven players, it’s really easy for them to feel sorry for themselves and give up,” Taylor said. “That’s what we talk about, is, every single day, ‘Are we better today than we were yesterday?’ … Our players understand that they’re laying the foundation for years to come, and that’s what our focus is.”
Now sitting at 5-8 overall and 0-3 in SEC play, A&M returns to the hardwood on Sunday, Jan. 8, to take on the 14-2 Ole Miss Rebels. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Reed Arena.