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Press Release from Texas A&M Athletics:
GREENVILLE, S.C. – A valiant effort by the Texas A&M women’s basketball team came up shy in Friday’s 79-68 loss to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks in SEC Tournament quarterfinal action inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The Aggies’ (19-12) defense forced a season-high 24 turnovers by South Carolina (30-0), keyed by Aicha Coulibaly’s game-high three steals.
Coulibaly also led all scorers in the game with her career high and Aggie SEC Tournament record 32 points. She hit 8-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and 13-of-15 from the charity stripe. Coulibaly pulled down six rebounds with five on the offensive glass.
Lauren Ware added 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Meanwhile, playing back-to-back days after missing the six prior contests due to injury, Endyia Rogers posted seven points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes. Janiah Barker also added 11 points.
The Aggies played hounding defense in the first quarter, inducing 10 turnovers by the Gamecocks. South Carolina tried to pull way, building a 12-6 lead at the midway point of the period, but the Maroon & White responded with 3-pointers by Barker and Bowles during an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to one point. The Gamecocks went into the first break with a 16-13 advantage.
Coulibaly and Ware opened the second quarter with baskets as the Aggies staked claim to a 17-16 edge at the 8:46 mark. The whistles were unkind to the Aggies the rest of the half with South Carolina going 6-of-6 on foul shots while the Maroon & White received no trips to the charity stripe. The disparity sparked a 17-5 surge by the Gamecocks to close out the half and Carolina led 33-22 at the intermission.
The Aggies’ third quarter offensive arsenal was buoyed by Coulibaly scoring A&M’s last 13 points, including 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. The Gamecocks opened a 49-35 advantage, their biggest lead to that point before Coulibaly went on her four-minute scoring barrage. The burst included scoring the last six points of the quarter, trimming the deficit to 57-48 heading into the final break.
Still nursing a nine-point lead, South Carolina went on a 10-1 run to stretch its advantage to 71-53 with 4:17 remaining in the game. Coulibaly continued to battle with 11 points in the final three minutes of the game, including two long distance field goals.
Up Next
The Aggies will await selection Sunday on March 17 to learn their postseason fate. The selection show begins at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
POSTGAME NOTES
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
Texas A&M is now 4-12 all-time versus South Carolina and 1-1 against the Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament.
Joni Taylor’s career record falls to 168-107 all-time and to 3-2 in the SEC Tournament at Texas A&M.
TEAM NOTES
The Aggies forced a season-high 24 turnovers from the Gamecocks, including 10 in the first quarter.
The Maroon & White are 14-11 all-time in the SEC Tournament.
The Aggies had both Barker and Rogers healthy for the 23rd game this season. The Aggies are 17-6 in those games and 2-6 without Rogers or Barker in the lineup.
Tied for the fifth-lowest margin of victory for No. 1 South Carolina this season.
Texas A&M began with a starting lineup of Kay Kay Green, Janiah Barker, Aicha Coulibaly, Sahara Jones and Lauren Ware for the sixth time this season (2-5).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Aicha Coulibaly
Posted a career-high and A&M record for the SEC Tournament with 32 points.
Became the first player to score 30-or-more points in a game since Kayla Wells poured in 30 against Arkansas on Feb. 3, 2022.
Had the most free throws made in a game by an Aggie player since Chennedy Carter knocked down 14 at Tennessee on Feb. 16, 2020.
Recorded three-or-more steals for the 16th time this season.