– Maryann Baker scored a career-high 21 points, Tyra White added 20 and a career-best 13 rebounds and No. 5 Texas A&M beat Oklahoma State 82-57 Wednesday night in its Big 12 road opener.
After going scoreless in the first half, conference scoring leader Danielle Adams had eight points during the Aggies’ 20-6 run coming out of halftime. Texas A&M (14-1, 2-0) also scored the final seven points of the first half to start turning a close game into a blowout.
Adams, the nation’s eighth-leading scorer, finished with 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting for her 24th straight game in double figures.
Toni Young was left out of Oklahoma State’s starting lineup for the first time this season but led the Cowgirls (12-3, 0-2) with 16 points and 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double. The Cowgirls lost at home against A&M for the seventh straight season.
Both teams got through nonconference play with identical 12-1 records – with Duke, currently ranked No. 3, providing the only loss for each team. At the start of Big 12 season, they seem to be headed in opposite directions.
Oklahoma State lost its conference opener by 18 at Kansas State and got blown out again with a trip to top-ranked Baylor looming Saturday.
The Aggies opened with a 28-point blowout against Colorado and followed up with another strong defensive performance with 12 steals – right at their average. Oklahoma State matched its season-high with 24 turnovers but also forced 20 by Texas A&M.
Baker’s 3-pointer with 6 minutes left before halftime broke a 20-all tie and put A&M ahead to stay, and the Aggies added to their lead behind White’s quick six-point burst. She hit a 3-pointer from the left wing, then stole the ball on Oklahoma State’s next possession and raced down to convert a three-point play and make it 29-22 with 4:16 left before halftime.
Texas A&M then bumped its lead up to 44-31 with Baker’s two free throws sandwiched between a jumper and a 3-pointer by Adoara Elonu to finish the first half with a 7-0 spurt. Oklahoma State got within 11 on Carolyn Blair-Mobley’s basket to open the second half but was never closer.
Adams converted a three-point play off a putback, then hit a 3-pointer and the Aggies were soon scoring nine straight points to go up 61-35 on Baker’s steal for a fastbreak layup.
Oklahoma State made only two baskets in the first 9 minutes of the second half before putting together an 8-0 run behind Lakyn Garrison’s 3-pointer and Young’s three-point play. But even that short-lived comeback didn’t get the Cowgirls back within striking distance.
Up next, the Aggies travel to Columbia, Mo., to face the Missouri Tigers who lost 63-56 against Texas Tech tonight. The game will be televised nationally on FSN at 11 a.m. (CT).