COLLEGE STATION- Texas A&M’s women’s basketball team cruised to victory over one of the nation’s top mid-majors, downing UTEP 74-58. Courtney Williams scored 20+ points for the third straight game, leading the Aggies with 21 points.
Williams became the first A&M player to score 20+ points in three straight games since Kelsey Bone scored 20+ in all three games of the World Vision Classic from Dec. 19-21, 2012. Williams has scored at least 10+ in eight straight games.
Texas A&M (10-4) took a 42-24 lead into halftime, anchored by a 16-2 run that lasted over six minutes of game time and gave the Aggies a 37-18 lead, which effectively put the game out of reach for the Miners.
Williams led the Aggies in the first half, and one point scoring 14 straight of the Aggies’ points, the last seven of which started the 16-2 A&M run. Williams had 16 in the first half, giving her double digits in four straight first halves, dating back to Dec. 22.
The Aggies led by as many as 26 in the second half, and never let UTEP get any closer than 13 points in the second frame, as the Aggies cruised to victory.
UTEP (11-2), who was receiving votes in the Associated Press poll entering this game, was held to 32.4% shooting and did not make a 3-pointer over the course of the game.
Jordan Jones had nine assists, marking her third straight game with eight-or-more assists. She is averaging 10.0 assists in that span.
Karla Gilbert had 12 points, but her impact was primarily felt on the defensive side of the ball, where she had a career-high with eight blocks. Danielle Adams is the last A&M player to have more than eight blocks in a game, when she set a school-record with 10 in 2009-10. Gilbert also moved into 4th on A&M’s career blocks list in the game, passing Danielle Gant with 114 for her career.
Courtney Walker had 18 points, reaching double figures for the 11th time this season.
This was a matchup between the Texas programs with the second- and third-most wins since 2007-08, with the Aggies picking up their 174th win in that span, moving 34 games ahead of UTEP’s 140.
The Aggies tip off the SEC season on Sunday, January 5 when they host the Alabama Crimson Tide at 2 p.m. The Alabama game is the final Holiday Hoops women’s game of the season, with general admission tickets starting at just $4, and an autograph session planned post-game.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics