COLLEGE STATION – The No. 6 Texas A&M women’s basketball team opened up the season in a big way, taking down Little Rock, 78-35 at Reed Arena Tuesday night. A&M was in charge nearly the entire game as three players finished scoring in double figures. Ciera Johnson led the Aggies with the 12th double-double of her career, kicking off the season with a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds.
After a close start, the Aggies used a 15-2 run late in the first quarter to pull away. They used another extensive scoring spree in the second quarter to boast a 44-18 lead at the break, dominating in the paint as they outscored Little Rock 30-4 over the first 20 minutes.
A&M continued to cruise in the second, never letting the Trojans get closer than 26 after the break. The Maroon & White dominated the hustle stats, outscoring them in the paint by 44, out-rebounding the visitors by 23 and scoring 16 more points off the bench.
TEAM NOTES
- The Aggies averaged 32.4 points in the paint last season and scored 30 in the first half alone against Little Rock.
- A&M only allowed the Trojans to score 35 points in the game, the fewest points allowed in the series.
- The Aggies moved to 10-2 all-time against Little Rock, 6-0 in College Station.
- Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Chennedy Carter, Shambria Washington, Kayla Wells, N’dea Jones and Ciera Johnson.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Ciera Johnson put up 18 points in the first half, matching the Little Rock team total. She finished with a career-high 24 points and added 13 rebounds.
- Johnson notched double-digit field goals for the first time in her career with 11 in the victory.
- This was the second time in her career Johnson has scored 20-plus points, first doing so at Florida last season.
- Chennedy Carter scored in double figures for the 40th consecutive game with 16 points against the Trojans. She also added five rebounds and a near-career-high six assists.
- N’dea Jones rounded out the double-digit scorer for A&M recording her 12th career game in double figures with 13 points, sinking a career-best nine free throws on 10 attempts.
UP NEXT
The Aggies will to host the US Olympic Team on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. The game will air on SEC Network Plus, available online through cable and ESPN subscriptions.