COLLEGE STATION – The No. 6 Texas A&M women’s basketball team dominated the second half to knock off Oklahoma City University 67-37 in an exhibition game at Reed Arena Friday Night. The Aggies are now 8-0 all-time against OCU in exhibition games and 31-6 overall. A&M was led by a pair of 20-point scorers in Ciera Johnson and Chennedy Carter.
It was a close battle early on, but the Aggies tied things up inside the midway point in the first quarter and took a lead they never relinquished. A&M led by as many as 36 points in the game, keeping the advantage for all but 2:57 of game time.
TEAM NOTES
- A&M saw two players score in double figures in the first half, and finished the game with a pair of 20-point scorers for the first time in an exhibition game.
- The Aggies held Oklahoma City to single-digit points in the third and fourth quarters, outscoring the stars 35-14.
- Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Chennedy Carter, Shambria Washington, Kayla Wells, N’dea Jones and Ciera Johnson.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Ciera Johnson led the Aggies with a double-double as she matched an exhibition game scoring record with 24 points, and grabbed 11 rebounds.
- Chennedy Carter also posted a 20-plus point performance, adding 22 in the win.
- Cheah Rael-Whitsitt led the Aggies with 11 rebounds, while Shambria Wilson dished out seven assists.
UP NEXT
The Aggies will open the regular season hosting Little Rock on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., and remain at home just two days later to host the US Olympic Team on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. Both games will air on SEC Network Plus, available online through cable and ESPN subscriptions.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement …
“Cheah [Rael-Whitsitt] gave us a lot energy rebounding early. There was plenty of rebounding opportunities, but that comes on the first ballgame. Ciera [Johnson] missed her first three shots and then after that she was pretty unstoppable against good size in there. Anna [Dreimane] is going to get there, it’s just going to take some time. Remember, she played in a five-out system at Colorado State so she didn’t play much that freshman year, didn’t play at all the second year and then didn’t play at all here last season, so it’s going to take some time for her to score easy and get deeper into the paint. Nine turnovers was very good for us particularly not to many in the second half. Our defense was a lot better than our offense tonight. We’ll work on it because we’re going to play a very good team in [Little Rock] on Tuesday night. This was exactly what we needed, we needed somebody in a different colored uniform.”
Junior Guard Chennedy Carter
On having Aaliyah Wilson back …
“It was very important, just for her to be out for so long and then to sit back and get her legs back under her. This is her first game, I believe in her, and we believe her as a team. It’s going take her some time to get her feet wet, but when she does she is hot.”
Junior Center Ciera Johnson
On where she saw improvements in her game …
“I have been just slowing myself down. Last year I rushed my shots a lot and wasn’t squaring my shoulders, this I’m year just working on my hands; catching, finishing fast, those are easy finishes that I was missing last year, just letting the game come to me.”
On her performance in the exhibition …
“My teammates really looked for me today, they focused on getting the ball to me. All I had to do was just turn to make the layup. As long as we won the game, we really didn’t play up to our level of play, but a win is a win.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics