No. 12 A&M suffers second loss of the week, falling to No. 1 South Carolina 60-52
The Texas A&M Aggies (22-7, 10-6 SEC) were unable to control their own fate in the battle for the SEC Tournament double-bye in Columbia on Sunday afternoon, falling to top-ranked South Carolina (29-1, 16-0 SEC) 52-60. The game marked the regular-season finale for both teams, and with the win, South Carolina secured its 23rd consecutive season win and remains undefeated in SEC conference play.
Fouls and missed opportunities plagued the Aggies from beginning to end. South Carolina nearly doubled their appearances on the free-throw line (15-22) against Texas A&M (8-11), whose shooting percentage was limited to just 28 percent. South Carolina’s Mikiah Herbert Harrigan rallied her team with 20 total points and dropped in 7/8 on shots from the free-throw line.
For the first time since her return from her injury-forced absence, Aggie junior guard Chennedy Carter did not start against the Gamecocks, and came off the bench late in the first quarter. The lineup adjustment did not seem to haze South Carolina. Star Gamecock senior forward Mikiak Herbert Harrigan led the Gamecocks to a 19-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw low-scoring on both sides, and the Aggies were able to pull within six into the third, but South Carolina regained their footing and were able to push ahead. A late rally in the 4th quarter was not enough time for the Aggies to pull within fighting reach, and the Gamecocks maintained their distant lead throughout the second half to claim the win.
Kayla Wells led the Aggies with 15 points, followed by Chennedy Carter with 12 and Aaliyah Wilson with 10. Shambria Washington had six assists, and N’dea Jones tallied 12 rebounds.
The Aggies are currently favored for a 3rd seed placement in the 2020 SEC Tournament, but with the loss to South Carolina, the Aggies will have to wait and see if Arkansas can pull out a win over LSU Sunday evening. If the Razorbacks take down the Tigers, the Aggies will have the coveted bye week going into the SEC Tournament.
The No. 12 Aggie women will continue their 2019-2020 season in the 2020 SEC Tournament and await the release of their bracket placement. The SEC Tournament will premiere on the SEC Network with Game 1 on Wednesday, March 4.
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