The Texas A&M women’s basketball team is eyeing to earn a pivotal road win against No. 24 Tennessee as they travel to Knoxville Sunday afternoon.
The Aggies (18-6, 8-3 SEC) and Lady Volunteers (16-8, 7-4 SEC) have each won four of their last five games with A&M currently sitting one game ahead of UT in the SEC standings. A win would put the Aggies two games ahead of the Lady Vols, while a loss would create a three-way tie for third place between A&M, UT and Kentucky.
“Anytime you go to Tennessee you’re trying to steal [a win],” Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair told TexAgs.com Friday afternoon. “A win over Tennessee – that means you’ve beat an eight-time national champion. It would mean a lot for our program. Most important thing, it would put two games ahead of Tennessee to see who’s third or fourth.”
UT is led by the trio of Mercedes Russell, Diamond DeShiields and Jamie Nared who are all averaging over 15 points per game – three players Blair believes will be All-SEC this year.
“They surely have a three-headed monster in Mercedes Russell, Diamond DeShiields – both of those kids were number one high school kids in the country,” Blair added. “The other kid is Jamie Nared who is having a heck of a year. We’ve played better this year against better competition. Hopefully we can raise our game to their level. “
For the majority of the season, A&M has played with a thin bench, depending on six or seven players for the entire game. Blair noted that Tennessee deals with the same thing with just eight scholarship players on roster.
“They have the same problems we do,” Blair said. “They have eight players dressed out, they try to play seven. A lot of times we play six.”
A&M’s road trip to Knoxville is the beginning of a grueling three-game stretch which features matches against conference leaders South Carolina and Mississippi State. Despite the difficult slate ahead, Blair stated that his squad is on a one-game mindset, focusing on Tennessee first.
“If I went and asked my team who we play after Tennessee, they couldn’t tell you,” Blair concluded. “This team just takes this one game at a time.
The Aggies and Lady Vols are set to play Sunday at 1 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPNU.