The Texas A&M women’s basketball team is looking for another victory over a conference foe as they prepare to travel to Missouri to face the Tigers on Thursday.
The Aggies have improved to a seven game winning streak after they defeated the Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday 72-60. In order to keep their winning streak alive, A&M will have to prepare for a difficult test with a road win against a talented Missouri team.
The Tigers are 16-7 and rank fourth in the SEC standings, just one spot behind the Aggies. Missouri is a talented team and can attribute much of their success to their shooting. When shooting from beyond the arc, they rank second in conference in three-point shots made and rank third in three-point percentage.
A&M head coach Gary Blair is focusing in on what he believes will be a pivotal game for his team this season.
“The whole key is Missouri,” Blair said. “We’ve set ourselves up in tremendous shape, we’re 4-1 on the road, but the game is going to change.”
In order to get a win over the Tigers, Blair wants his team to get to the basket and draw fouls.
“What we’ve got to do is keep limiting our fouls,” Blair said. “We’ve got to make sure that we keep getting to the free throw line. When the three ball is not going like it wasn’t in the last ball game, get to the paint with the guards and not just the post players. Find a way to get to the free throw line.”
With the regular season quickly coming to a close, the race to win the conference is hotter than ever. Texas A&M currently sits in third place behind Mississippi State and South Carolina. Behind the Aggies lies a four way tie for fourth place.
Blair said the final stretch of the season is crucial, and he knows it won’t be an easy road.
“Six out of our last seven games, they have all won 15 or 16 games a piece,” Blair said. “The schedule is in front of us, and it’s sort of like football when the Aggies have to play the SEC West, and that’s what we have to do. Can you win ugly? Can you win pretty, playing fast? Can you have a great shooting night, and a great defense? It does not matter, as long as you find a way to get the win.”
As Blair looks toward the daunting schedule ahead, he said he wants the team to focus in on the Missouri game as he feels that could make or break the season.
“This momentum game is Missouri,” Blair said. “We can separate ourselves, and it’s a chase between Mississippi State, South Carolina and ourselves because all three of us still think we can win the league, but to do that, we cannot slip up at all.”
Tip-off for Thursday’s game is set for 6 p.m. in Columbia, Missouri at Mizzou Arena.