After three road games, Texas A&M women’s basketball returned to Reed Arena to host the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday, Dec. 3. An electric fourth quarter led to the Aggies 63-52 victory over Kansas, marking the seventh win of the season for A&M and its third win over a Power Five team.
It was a defensive battle from the very beginning, as both teams struggled shooting the ball. The Jayhawks eventually got the first points of the game after a bad pass landed in the hands of Senior center Taiyanna Jackson for a driving layup.
Jackson, the leading scorer for the Jayhawks, averages 15 points per game but the Aggie defense successfully held her to 6 points. Foul trouble also gave the Aggies an advantage as Jackson went to the bench after picking up her fourth foul in the third quarter.
Foul trouble also ensued for the Aggies starting five leading to early rotations and a lack of momentum. Sophomore forward Janiah Barker, senior guard Aicha Coulibaly, graduate G Endyia Rogers and redshirt junior F Lauren Ware saw the sideline more than usual throughout the first two quarters, leaving production in the hands of the bench.
In the second quarter, Junior G Tineya Hylton checked in and quickly picked up two fouls before heading back to the bench. Hylton saw the hardwood again in the fourth quarter and sent Reed Arena into an uproar after a pair of steals and two fast break layups to give the Aggies the advantage. Hylton recorded 6 points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Mirroring Hylton to bring a much needed spark to the floor for the Aggies was Rogers. Rogers was unstoppable in the third and fourth quarters, knocking shots down from beyond the arc and getting inside the paint to give the Aggies some momentum. Rogers recorded a season high 17 points, seven rebounds, two steals and three assists.
“She’s so dangerous because she’s a three level-scorer,” coach Joni Taylor said. “She’s great at ball screen action, she can shoot it, she can get to the rim, she can pass it and her vision is great so we spread the floor out in the third and fourth to put the ball in her hands and she made the right decisions.”
Barker was also highly productive, recording her sixth career double-double with 18 points and a career high 13 rebounds.
“I’m so happy and so proud of this team,” Barker said. “Just to have five wins in a row and have a record of 7-1 right now is surreal to hear that from last year to now.”
With this victory, the Aggies extended their win streak to five and are in an excellent position compared to last season where they only registered nine wins.
The Aggies will be back at Reed Arena Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m. to host the Lamar Cardinals, who are led by former A&M player and 2018 Texas A&M Hall of Fame Inductee Aqua Franklin.
“For us it’s about taking the next step and we have to continue to move the needle,” Taylor said. “We have a ton of respect for Aqua and Lamar, she played here and she has some talented players.”