The Texas A&M women’s basketball team fought hard but could not produce enough offense to overcome the Crimson Tide on the road in Alabama on Thursday, Jan. 19. The 61-46 loss marks eight in a row for the Aggies, who have not been able to secure a SEC Conference win this season.
“They’re active, they’re physical and they’re tough,” coach Joni Taylor said. “Those things are obviously very, very difficult to play against if we are not doing the same thing on offense, moving the ball quickly, meeting passes and attacking aggression with aggression.”
Alabama, known for pressing teams, did not hold back against the Aggies who have struggled to find steady offense this season. The Aggies put on a great defensive performance but could not match up offensively against an aggressive Alabama defense.
The Aggies had great offensive runs but ultimately could not overcome its scoring slump, shooting only 35% from the field while Alabama shot 38% from the field with an advantage at the 3-point line, shooting 43%.
A slow-paced start for the maroon and white led to a 10-point first quarter while Alabama held the lead with 21 points.
The Aggies found a spark in the second quarter when sophomore forward Jada Malone, swarmed by crimson and white jerseys, somehow managed to get the ball out to graduate guard McKinzie Green, who cut the deficit to eight with a two-point shot.
Green’s efforts were short lived when Alabama’s Aaliyah Nye answered with a 3-pointer followed by a steal and an easy bucket to put the Crimson Tide back up by 13 points.
Late in the second quarter, Alabama missed five shots in a row. The Aggies took advantage and found graduate forward Aaliyah Patty down below for an easy layup to bring the Aggies within six points.
A&M continued to trail 35-24 at the half but a clutch 3-pointer by freshman guard Sydney Bowles to open the third quarter brought the Aggies back within eight points.
In the fourth quarter, back-to-back buckets by freshman guard Mya Petticord and Green built a little momentum for the Aggies, but the defense became fatigued when Alabama answered with back-to-back shots under the basket.
The Aggies continued to be aggressive on defense, creating turnovers and plenty of opportunities to score but could not convert, ultimately handing Alabama the win.
Junior guard Kay Kay Green led A&M in scoring with 11 points followed by Bowles with nine points. Patty crashed the boards leading the Aggies in rebounds with 10 total, two steals, two blocks and eight points of her own.
The Aggies search for a conference win continues as the squad returns to Reed Arena on Sunday, Jan. 22, for a big matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs, where Taylor coached for seven seasons. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.