BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M women’s basketball team dropped a 60-44 decision in Sunday’s game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs inside Reed Arena.
Kay Kay Green led the Aggies offense with a career-high 18 points. The junior guard hit 8-of-12 from the field, including two from long range. She added three rebounds, one block and one steal. Aaliyah Patty registered 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. McKinzie Green matched a career high with six assists.
Playing with just seven players available for the sixth time this season, the Aggies held Mississippi State 14.5 points below its season scoring average. For the 2022-23 campaign, Texas A&M has held every opponent under their average scoring output.
Mississippi State used a press and an 8-0 edge in free throw opportunities to build a 17-6 lead at the first intermission.
Kay Kay Green scored nine points in the second quarter, including a floating jumper at the buzzer to keep the Aggies in striking distance headed into the intermission. The Bulldogs led 34-24 at the break.
Texas A&M scored the first five points coming out of the locker room to cut the deficit to 34-29 at the 7:02 mark of the third quarter. The Mississippi State edge would be cut to five on two more occasions in the period, but the Bulldogs made the last two buckets to inflate their cushion to 44-34 at the final break.
The Aggies were unable to trim the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter despite five more points by Kay Kay Green.
Up Next
Texas A&M heads to Tuscaloosa for Thursday’s 6 p.m. game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum.
POSTGAME NOTES
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
Texas A&M moves to 5-11 in the 2022-23 regular season, including 0-6 in the SEC.
The Aggies’ overall record against Mississippi State moves to 5-10.
Joni Taylor’s career record moves to 145-86 all-time and to 5-11 in her first season with the Aggies.
TEAM NOTES
The Fightin’ Texas Aggies held Mississippi State 14.5 points below its season scoring average, continuing the streak of holding each of the Aggies’ opponents this season below their yearly scoring output.
The Aggies have held its foe to 60 points or less inside Reed Arena for the ninth time this season.
Texas A&M limited Mississippi State to their third lowest-scoring game this season, allowing them to only put up 60 points, with their other lows being against Ole Miss (50) and South Carolina (51).
Texas A&M utilized a starting lineup of Sydney Bowles, Kay Kay Green, Eriny Kindred, Jada Malone and Aaliyah Patty for the fourth time this season (0-4).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Kay Kay Green
Put up a career-high 18 points to lead the Aggies in scoring for the second time this season, marking the third time she has scored in double digits in her career. Her previous high was 14 against Purdue on Dec. 21, 2022.
Hit 8-of-12 (66.6%) from the field.
Drained a season-high two 3-pointers, making it the fifth game this season she has made one-or-more shots from behind the arc.
Tacked on three rebounds, one block and one steal.
Aaliyah Patty
Registered 10 points, marking the seventh game this season she has scored in double digits.
Grabbed eight boards to lead the Aggies in rebounds for the ninth time this season and the 37th time in her career.
Hit two 3-pointers for the second game in a row, marking the eighth game this season she has made one-or-more shots from deep.
McKenzie Green
Led the Aggies in assists for the third time this season, matching her career-high of six.
Contributed two rebounds and a steal.
Eriny Kindred
Brought down a career-best seven rebounds, her previous high being six at LSU on Jan. 5.
Added three rebounds and a steal.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Joni Taylor
On the positives from today’s game…
“There is no quit in us and we continue to fight. There are some things that we converted late out of a timeout when people moved around. Aaliyah Patty and Jada Malone both had three fouls in the first half and Eriny Kindred was playing the power forward some. They continue to do whatever it is that we ask, and we responded to the physicality of Mississippi State. We just cannot let it take us that long, especially when we know it’s coming.”
Junior Guard Kay Kay Green
On scoring her career-high…
“My shot was just there. I was feeling it tonight and getting to my spot. So, I capitalized and did what I had to do.”
Graduate Guard McKinzie Green
On the team’s performance…
“I thought our defense was good for the most part, but in that third and fourth quarter there were times we needed to get a stop and we didn’t, especially when we weren’t scoring on the offensive end. So, if we keep capitalizing on that end, it will come together.”
Story by Thomas Dick, Athletics Communications