The sixth-seeded Aggies had to overcome another slow start to come back and beat No. 3 seed Missouri 62-48 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. With the win, Texas A&M jumps to 20-10 on the season and is now 7-3 all time in SEC Tournament play.
Texas A&M missed its first five shots of the game, shooting a meager 25% in the first quarter and tallying only 10 points. The Tigers capitalized by nailing five three pointers in the first ten minutes of play, jumping to a nine point lead early. However, persistent defense by the Aggies, including 8 steals, put them down by only 3 points heading into halftime.
Sophomore Anriel Howard provided the spark Texas A&M needed in the second quarter to get back into the game, recording 11 points at the half. Her three first-half steals also allowed the Aggies to cut back into Missouri’s lead. Howard ended the game with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four steals.
Offensively, the Tigers could not do much after the first quarter. Coming out of the half, Missouri scored only four points in the third quarter and shot a dismal 24% between both the second and third quarters. A key difference in scoring came at the charity stripe, as Missouri only shot two free throws all game as opposed to Texas A&M’s 20. The Tigers did get solid games out of both Sierra Michaelis and Sophie Cunningham, who put up 15 and 13 points, respectively, however Cunningham fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Several Texas A&M players got in on the action as senior Taylor Cooper quietly contributed throughout, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds, while the team’s leading scorer for the season, sophomore Danni Williams, put up 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
The nation’s leader in assists, senior Curtyce Knox, did her thing again recording 10 assists while also putting up eight points and snagging three steals. Khaalia Hillsman, coming off a double-double in Thursday night’s win over Florida, had a relatively quiet game, not getting her first shot off until halfway through the third quarter and recording only seven points all game.
The Aggies continually stepped up their defensive play throughout the game, recording 12 steals and forcing a total of 20 turnovers from the Tigers. After going on a 10-0 run that spanned across halftime, Texas A&M took the lead early in the third quarter and never looked back. Missouri has never won a game in SEC Tournament play, falling to 0-5 after tonight.
Up next for Texas A&M will be the No. 2 seed Mississippi State. The semifinal matchup is slated for Saturday night at approximately 7:00 pm CST in Greenville, South Carolina.
