In their first game of SEC play, the No. 21 A&M women’s basketball team was defeated by No. 4 South Carolina in a heartbreaker, 61-59.
With 1:08 remaining, freshman guard Chennedy Carter connected with junior forward Anriel Howard who netted a jump shot to give the Aggies a 59-57 lead. South Carolina then drove the ball down the court and tied the game up with a contested jump shot. The Aggies then got the ball back after junior forward Jasmine Lumpkin swatted the South Carolina shot attempt. Howard then drove the ball down the court, however, turned the ball over with five seconds remaining. With the ball now in their possession, the Gamecocks called a timeout and drew up an inbound play. The play proved successful as forward A’ja Wilson muscled her way through the Aggie defenders and swishing a shot with 1.1 seconds remaining. The Aggies were unable to get a shot off and the Gamecocks clinched the 61-59 win.
The Aggies got off to a slow start in the game, struggling to make their open jump shots. Conversely, South Carolina hit their shots and jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. Carter led the comeback effort, netting six points in the quarter, however, the Aggies were unable to get in a shooting rhythm, and finished the quarter shooting 29 percent (5-of-17) from the field. The Gamecocks shot 64 percent (9-of-14) and led the Aggies 20-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The Aggie defense was incredibly stout in the second quarter, and lured the Gamecocks into taking contested shots. The A&M defense also consistently forced the Gamecocks into uncharacteristic turnovers, finishing the first half with 14 forced turnovers and 11 points off of those turnovers. The Aggies held the Gamecocks to just seven points in the second quarter, on 18 percent (2-of-11) shooting, and narrowed their deficit to 27-25 at halftime. Carter led the first half in scoring with 13 points.
The Aggies shot lights out in the third quarter, including 50 percent (3-of-6) from behind the arc. Carter exploded, adding 19 points to her game-high 32 points through three quarters. Howard was a key contributor to the Aggies third quarter success, as she reeled in five rebounds, giving the Aggies more scoring opportunities. The Gamecocks again struggled to make their shots, and finished the quarter trailing 49-41.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair, however the Aggies were unable to make up for poor shooting, 29 percent (4-of-14) from the field. Despite the loss, the Aggies saw ample production from Carter and Howard, who finished the game with 36 and 12 points, respectively. Howard also finished the game with 16 rebounds.
The Aggies will return to action on Thursday, January 4th when they host Kentucky. The game will be televised on SEC Network and tipoff is slated for 6:00 p.m.