WBB: A&M downs #8 South Carolina in OT, now first in the SEC

Good things tend come in threes.

That proved true on Thursday night when the No. 21 Texas A&M women’s basketball team upset the No. 8 South Carolina Gamecocks 67-65 in overtime at Reed Arena to post their third-consecutive victory over ranked opponents.  With the victory, the Aggies (14-4, 4-0) now hold sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference race.

The sophomore trio of Courtney Williams, Jordan Jones, and Courtney Walker combined for a total of 51 points, while senior Karla Gilbert poured in an additional 11 – including four in the extra period – to lead A&M to the win.

“Give Karla Gilbert a huge plus in this game,” said A&M head coach Gary Blair. “She played 40 minutes and did a heck of a job. She missed some bunnies, but she gave us some big baskets and some big rebounds.”

By holding the Gamecocks (16-2, 4-1) to just 24% from the field in the first half, A&M was able to jump out to an early 19-point lead just before intermission. At that point, it looked as if the Aggies would run the Gamecocks out of the gym en route to their seventh straight victory.

But South Carolina had other plans.

Led by juniors Aleighsa Welch and Elem Ibiam, the Gamecocks quickly cut into the Aggie lead and came within one point when junior Olivia Gaines drained a three-pointer with 9:25 left in regulation.

“They started going inside a lot,” said Walker on why South Carolina was able to make a comeback. “We went to a zone and they were getting a lot of their lobs and the looks that they like inside.”

A&M once again looked to be in control of the contest when Williams hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds remaining to put the Aggies up five.

However, a quick jumper by South Carolina’s Tiffany Mitchell and a controversial jump ball on the ensuing Aggie inbounds play gave the Gamecocks possession down three with 15 seconds on the clock.

With Walker guarding, Mitchell threw up an awkward shot from behind the arc that miraculously glanced off the backboard and through the hoop to send the game into overtime.

Walker took blame for allowing Mitchell to get a look at all.

“She shouldn’t have got the shot off in the first place,” stated Walker. “I should have got up on her and shouldn’t have been screened off in the first place.”

In overtime, Gilbert went to work in the paint, scoring the Aggies first two baskets of the period to give them a small cushion at 60-58 with 1:46 remaining.

Then, Jones proceeded to pick the pocket of Gamecocks point guard Asia Dozier and finished the fastbreak with an and-one play after being fouled on the layup. Jones would hit her free throw to make it a five-point A&M advantage with 1:27 showing on the clock.

“I give all the credit to my teammates because without them, she would have made the pass,” said Jones about the steal. “That gave me the ability to pressure her and make it more difficult on her to see the floor. I knew she was weak with her handle and that she would eventually give it up.”

Up three with less than 30 seconds to play, Williams took a shot that glanced off the iron and it seemed as if South Carolina would once again have a chance to tie the game. However, the Gamecocks fumbled the rebound out of bounds, giving possession back to the Aggies.

Williams would be fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and proceeded to calmly knock down a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game with 15 seconds to play.

South Carolina was able to muster an uncontested three-pointer at the buzzer on their next possession, but it would not matter as the Aggies claimed victory for the ninth time in a row on the Reed Arena floor.

Now in first place in the SEC, A&M will have a target on their back as they play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Bulldogs head coach Vic Schaefer, but Blair doesn’t plan to show compassion on the court for his former assistant.

“[Vic] isn’t coming in here to serve barbeque and play golf with me,” concluded Blair. “He’s coming in here to beat us. When we toss it up instead of tee it up, I’m at home. It will be another knockdown, drag out game and that’s what we expect in every SEC game.”