![WTAW-TAMU-Basketball](https://wtaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/WTAW-TAMU-Basketball-678x381.jpg)
Credit to Brandon Collins | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
OXFORD – The Texas A&M women’s basketball team used a dominant third quarter to turn a tightly contested game into a 72-53 thumping of the Ole Miss Rebels inside SJB Pavilion Thursday night.
Texas A&M (16-6, 4-5 SEC) outscored Ole Miss (16-7, 6-4 SEC) 21-7 in the third quarter, including 16-2 in the final 6:22 of the period to stretch a six-point halftime lead out to a 56-36 margin at the last break.
Janiah Barker and Lauren Ware each hit the 20-point mark for the second time on the season. Barker scored 21 points on 9-of-15 (60.0%) shooting from the field, including 3-5 from long range. She added five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal. Ware registered her ninth double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds. She hit 9-of-13 (69.2%) from the field.
Texas A&M pounded the boards with a 41-29 rebounding edge, including 21-11 in the second half. The Maroon & White were perfect from the charity stripe, hitting 12-of-12, including 6-of-6 by Endyia Rogers.
Rogers tallied 12 points along with five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The Aggies stymied Rebels’ top dog Marquesha Davis, who entered the game averaging 17.6 points in SEC games, was only able to muster four points on 1-of-6 shooting. Ole Miss, who entered the game shooting 44.6% from the field in home games, made just 20-of-55 (36.4%) against A&M’s relentless defense.
Barker paced the Aggies in the first quarter with seven points. After Texas A&M fell behind, 13-6, a 3-pointer by Barker sparked a 9-1 run. The burst culminated in a Ware layup, staking the Maroon & White to a 15-14 advantage with 35 seconds left in the quarter. Ole Miss hit a pair of free throws to head into the first break up 16-15.
After the lead seesawed early in the second quarter, Ware and Barker combined on 10 points in a 13-4 spurt as Texas A&M claimed its biggest lead of the half, 30-22, at the 3:50 mark. The Rebels responded with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to one point with 1:57 remaining in the half. Rogers broke her scoreless first half with a 3-pointer and two free throws in the waning moments as Texas A&M went into halftime with a 35-29 edge.
Leading 40-34 with 6:51 left in the third quarter, Texas A&M had two sets of two made free throws by Rogers bookend a 14-0 run as the Maroon & White grabbed its first 20-point lead of the game at the 1:23 mark. The run included a pair of 3-pointers by Barker.
Texas A&M inflated the cushion to 68-39 at the midway point of the fourth quarter, before the Rebels went on a cosmetic 14-4 surge to close out the contest.
Up Next
The Aggies stay on the road for a game at Kentucky on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
The Aggies improve to 11-6 all-time versus Ole Miss and 5-3 in Oxford.
Snapped a four-game losing streak to Ole Miss.
A&M recorded its first win at Ole Miss since Feb. 21, 2021, when the Aggies won 66-55.
Joni Taylor’s career record improves to 165-101 all-time and to 25-26 in her two seasons with the Aggies.
TEAM NOTES
Texas A&M is now 15-0 this season and 22-1 during the Taylor era when leading at the half.
The Aggies held Ole Miss to seven points in the third quarter, tied for the second lowest for the Rebels this year.
The Maroon & White defense held Ole Miss to its lowest point total of the season. The Rebels’ previous low was 55 on Jan. 4 versus Alabama.
The Aggies matched the most conference wins in a season since the 2021-22 season.
The Maroon & White is now 5-1 this season following a loss.
A&M recorded multiple SEC road wins for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.
The Maroon & White registered their largest road win since Jan. 28, 2021, when they dominated Auburn, 84-69.
Texas A&M began with a starting lineup of Endyia Rogers, Aicha Coulibaly, Janiah Barker, Sahara Jones and Lauren Ware (15-3).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Aicha Coulibaly
Swiped four steals, the second most this season. Was also the 11th game this year with three-or-more steals.
Lauren Ware
Came up two points shy of a career-high and registered the second 20-point game of her season.
Locked in a team-best ninth double-double with 11 rebounds on top of her 20-point performance.
Janiah Barker
Posted nine made field goals, the most this season in league play for the sophomore. Her 21 points was a season best.
Averaging 21.5 points per game versus the Ole Miss Rebels, the highest average against any team for Barker.
Most points scored since pouring in 22 against Ole Miss in the quarterfinals of the 2023 SEC Tournament.