No. 3 Texas A&M Hosts No. 5 South Carolina in Historic Senior Day Matchup
By: Nick Whitley, Athletics Communications
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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas No. 3 Texas A&M women's basketball will celebrate Senior Day and compete for its first regular season Southeastern Conference championship on Sunday, as the Aggies play host to the No. 5 South Carolina Gamecocks in Reed Arena's first-ever Associated Press top-five matchup. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The de facto SEC Regular Season Championship game will be broadcast to a nationwide television audience on ESPN2, with authenticated subscribers able to access the live simulcast from around the world on the ESPN app. Fans in the Brazos Valley are invited to tune into the live radio broadcast of the game on Sports Radio 1150 The Zone/93.7 FM with Tom Turbiville and Tap Bentz on the call.
Due to the high volume of tickets sold, general admission tickets are no longer available. Texas A&M Sports Pass holders and students are still encouraged to come to the game, and will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to the high-stakes regular season battle, Texas A&M University will celebrate the five graduates and lone senior on the Aggie women's basketball team. Anna Dreimane, Ciera Johnson, N'dea Jones, Kayla Wells and Aaliyah Wilson have each completed their undergraduate coursework and are pursuing their master's degrees in Aggieland, while Destiny Pitts is scheduled to graduate from the university later this year. A&M will honor this season's graduates and senior with a ceremony prior to tipoff.
Directed by its veteran leadership, Texas A&M's 2020-21 campaign is already loaded with historic accomplishments and achievements. The latest edition of the Associated Press Top-25 Poll ranked the Aggies at the No. 3 slot, tying the regular season program record set on January 5, 2009. A&M was featured as the No. 2 team in the NCAA Power-10 ranking and earned the No. 1 spot in the CBS Sports Power Ranking. The Aggies are the winners of nine consecutive games, hold the most ranked wins in the nation (eight), are undefeated against ranked opponents (8-0), are unblemished at home (12-0) and are tied for first place in the NCAA with 21 overall victories. The Maroon & White also boast Naismith Coach of the Year contender Gary Blair and a Naismith Player of the Year candidate in Jones. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native is just seven rebounds shy of becoming A&M's all-time leader.
A&M's most recent outing saw the team improve to 21-1 overall with a 12-1 record in SEC play, as the Aggies defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 73-67 on Thursday evening in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Dallas native Wells stood out, dropping team highs in both points (16) and assists (four) while extending her streak of double-digit scoring to seven consecutive games. Jordan Nixon contributed 16 points while Pitts and Wilson scored 11 and 10, respectively. Jones recorded her 13th double-double this season and 39th of her career, scoring 12 points and grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds.
Headlined by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Dawn Staley and Naismith Trophy-contending forward Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks arrive in Aggieland boasting a 19-3 overall record with a 14-1 mark against SEC opponents. The South Carolina offense is paced by the backcourt duo of sophomore Zia Cooke and junior Destanni Henderson, who average 16.0 and 12.0 points per game, respectively. Meanwhile, Boston operates as the team's leading rebounder, averaging 11.7 boards while submitting an additional 13.0 points per contest.
Texas A&M and South Carolina will meet for the 11th time in women's basketball on Sunday, with the Gamecocks maintaining a 7-3 lead. Each of the 10 prior meetings between the two squads came after A&M joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012-13. This will be the first time in series history where both teams are ranked in the Associated Press top five.
Weather permitting, at 12:15 p.m. outside of the east entrance of Reed Arena, fans have the chance to stop by and listen as the Hullaballoo Band will be performing. Due to SEC rules and COVID-19 protocols, the band has not been able to play in venue this season. Also joining them will be the Aggie Dance Team and Yell Leaders. The performance will end by 12:30 p.m. so fans can be in their seats as Senior Day ceremonies will begin at approx. 12:40 p.m.