Credit to Brandon Collins | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
ATHENS, Ga. – The Texas A&M women’s basketball team was doomed by a late scoring drought in a 54-50 loss to the Georgia Lady Bulldogs in Thursday’s SEC opener at Stegeman Coliseum.
Texas A&M (12-2, 0-1 SEC) was unable to score in the final 6:05 of the contest. The teams traded three buckets apiece early in the fourth quarter and a pair of Javyn Nicholson free throws tied the game at 50-50 with 5:45 left in the contest. Ultimately, Nicholson scored the game-winning jumper with 3:46 remaining as the Aggies missed their last seven shots from the field and committed three turnovers down the stretch.
Endyia Rogers paced the Aggies with a season-high 18 points. She also pulled down seven rebounds and added three assists and two steals. Aicha Coulibaly added 13 points.
Texas A&M committed an uncharacteristic 22 turnovers in the game. The Aggies were also doomed by 7-of-29 (24.1%) shooting from 3-point range. On a positive note, the Maroon & White held Georgia to 28 points in the final three quarters after yielding 26 in the opening stanza. After shooting 55.0% (11-of-20) from the field in the first quarter, Georgia was stymied to the tune of 26.2% (11-of-42) the remainder of the contest.
The Aggies fell behind early, 12-3, as Georgia (10-4, 1-0 SEC) made 6-of-7 from the field to start the game. Texas A&M trimmed the deficit to 14-10 at the 3:22 mark of the first period behind a 3-point field goal by Rogers and a jumper by Coulibaly, but the Lady Bulldogs stretched the gap to 26-18 heading into the first intermission. Sydney Bowles kept the Aggies in the striking distance with a pair of 3-pointers in the final 2:05 of the quarter.
Texas A&M synched up its defense in the second quarter holding Georgia to 33.3% (5-of-15) from the field to get back in the fray. Rogers converted on a 4-point play at the 3:41 mark, capping an 11-4 run and shaving the Bulldogs’ advantage to 32-31. The Aggies staked claim to their first lead of the game, 35-34, with 1:33 remaining in the first half with a layup by Rogers. Georgia went into halftime up 36-35 with Javyn Nicholson making her eighth bucket of the half in the waning moments.
The Aggies were held scoreless the first 4:07 of the third quarter, but Georgia was only able to stretch their edge to 38-35 before a Janiah Barker jumper. Texas A&M reclaimed the lead, 40-39, with a Rogers 3-pointer at the 3:57 mark. The Maroon & White held the Bulldogs to 1-of-12 (8.3%) shooting down the stretch and nursed a 43-41 advantage into the final intermission.
Up Next
The Aggies will host Auburn on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 3 p.m. inside Reed Arena for the home conference opener.
POSTGAME NOTES
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
Texas A&M fell to Georgia and the all-time series moved to 10-6 in favor of the Aggies. A&M is also 4-4 in Athens at Stegeman Coliseum.
Joni Taylor’s career record drops to 161-97 all-time and to 21-22 in her two seasons with the Aggies.
TEAM NOTES
The Aggies held Georgia to five points in the third quarter. The 14th time this season they have held an opponent to 10-or-less points in a period.
Tied for the third most 3-pointers made this season, nailing seven triples.
Texas A&M began with a starting lineup of Endyia Rogers, Aicha Coulibaly, Sahara Jones, Janiah Barker and Lauren Ware (12-2).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Endyia Rogers
Poured in a season-high 18 points with four made 3-pointers.
Sydney Bowles
Set a career high with seven rebounds.
Lauren Ware
Matched a career high, dishing four assists.