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Texas A&M Women's Basketball

Hoops Thoughts: Texas A&M women gut out two tough wins

November 22, 2016
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Here are a few thoughts from the Aggies' wins over Texas Tech and Stephen F. Austin:

Offense:
The Aggies had a lot of things to smile about with their win over Texas Tech. A&M was tested and executed when it counted. The Aggies showed a more complete offense, finishing inside and utilizing the three-ball and the mid-range game.

Danni Williams showed out and is really forcing teams to focus on stopping her, creating opportunities for everyone else. Taylor Cooper has been the sixth man for Coach Blair, and I like it. She adds a spark when she’s on the floor. She has the capability to hit the three and expand the defense but has also shown great vision and is deliberate with her passes. Taylor is going to be a big part the Aggies' success if she can continue to produce and be that steady sixth man.

Williams' and Cooper's three-point abilities make the Aggie offense dangerous. Most teams will pack the paint and refuse to allow A&M to drive and do what they do best, but if they can make shots consistently from behind the arc, then teams will have to guard against it. That ultimately opens up the driving lanes.

The Aggies struggled a bit against SFA but were able to pull it out. Something that could be beneficial for A&M is Anriel Howard and the fifteen-footer. If she canstart hitting that shot, then when she flashes to the free throw line – either in a zone or man defense – she’s now a double-threat. She’s super-athletic and can get to the rim but can also hit the jumper, making her much harder to guard.

A&M made stops when they needed too, but they are still allowing teams to drive to the middle of the floor too often.
Defense: A&M made stops when they needed too, but they are still allowing teams to drive to the middle of the floor too often.

In both games this week, the Aggies gave teams driving lanes to the center of the defense.

This forces A&M to help out and leaves open the kick-out for three. That makes the defense continuously rotate and scramble, getting them out of position.

The Aggies are athletic enough to overcome some of these mistakes but need to limit middle drives before it becomes a habit and hurts them in key situations. Defense is still a form of offense for A&M, due to their active hands and help-side which will benefit them the rest of the season.

The Aggies also struggled a little in transition defense. They didn’t pick up the ball until the free throw line. The ball-handler had momentum coming downhill at them, making it extremely hard to defend without fouling or giving up an easy shot. It's the main reason Texas Tech outscored A&M in the fast break game. The Aggies need to stop the ball early and force the opposing team to slow down and run their offense.

Rebounding: The Aggies rebounded well this week, particularly against Tech. Rebounding has always been an extremely important part of the game. More rebounds means more possessions and more points, in theory. A&M was able to put this into motion and out-rebounded both their opponents. Not only that, but they won on the offensive boards, which is huge. Offensive rebounding resets the shot clock and creates the most opportune time to score because the defense is out of position.

Overall: A&M had a successful week with two big wins. The victory over Texas Tech showed the Aggies' ability to make plays down the stretch and close games. Coming off an emotional overtime win, A&M came out sluggish against SFA. It’s understandable to have some carryover from the previous game; the uplifting thing is the Ags still managed to do what they needed to do to get the job done – even if it was ugly. Good teams find a way to win no matter what, and that's what they did this week.
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Hoops Thoughts: Texas A&M women gut out two tough wins

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