The No. 14 Texas A&M women’s basketball team is set for a showdown with No. 12 Tennessee on the road Thursday. The 17-5 (6-2 SEC) Aggies are on a three game winning steak after knocking off Alabama, LSU and Vanderbilt all by double digits. The 17-4 (5-3 SEC) Volunteers have lost four of their last six after starting the season 15-0.
The Aggies ended the Volunteers’ 15 game winning streak to start the season in their first matchup on Jan. 11, taking the win in a thriller 79-76 in College Station. A&M was led by three players who combined for 65 of the Aggies 79 points.
Junior guard Danni Williams had 22 points, senior center Khaalia Hillsman also had 22 and freshman guard Chennedy Carter had 21.
The Aggies have been led all season by Williams, Hillsman and Carter. Williams is averaging 14.8 points and 3.3 rebounds, while Hillsman is averaging 15.8 points and 8.0 rebounds, and Carter leads the team with 21.1 points a game, while also adding 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
Freshman phenom Chennedy Carter has scored at least 20 points in every road game this year, and scored 28 in the last game at Vanderbilt, which is good for sixth-most in A&M freshman history.
In addition to that accomplishment, Carter has scored in double figures in every game she’s played in, and is the only player in A&M history to start her career with 22 straight double digit games.
Tennessee is led by senior center Mercedes Russell, senior guard Jaime Nared and freshman guard Rennia Davis. Russell is averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds a game, while Nared is scoring 16.6 a game and grabbing 8.0 rebounds a game, and Davis is averaging 11.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. Hillsman is looking forward to her matchup with Russell.
“I like the fact that we’re very competitive against each other, but not to the point where we’re getting frustrated,” Hillsman said. “It’s just who has more energy and more intensity, to be honest. If I can stay intensive, stay low on defense, and do better than the last time, it will be better for our team. She’s one of my favorite post players to play against, because we always have friendly conversation at random times.”
The matchup will take place at Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game will tip at 5:30 p.m. and will be aired on the SEC Network.