With NCAA Tournament hopes on the line, Texas A&M failed to show up.
Turnovers, rebounding and second-chance points plagued Texas A&M (14-11, 4-9) in a 74-54 blowout loss against the Ole Miss Rebels (19-6, 7-5). The Aggies’ second-quarter struggles proved to be the difference-maker.
“The other team was ready to play,” Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair said. “We were ready to play, but we didn’t answer the bell.”
The Rebels outscored the Aggies 19-7 in the second quarter, shooting a blazing 53.8 percent. Conversely, the Aggies struggled, shooting 23.1 percent. Early on, Ole Miss crashed the boards, out-rebounding A&M 24-14 with 10 second-chance points at halftime.
“Ole Miss attacked the offensive boards, and you either rebound with an attitude or you get embarrassed, and we got embarrassed on the boards,” Blair said.
Ole Miss’s defense stepped up, forcing ten turnovers in the first half and holding A&M’s leading scorer Kayla Wells to just one point. The duo of guard Lashonda Monk and forward Madison Scott combined for 17 of Ole Miss’s 35 points, which fueled their 16-point lead at the break.
“Give credit to Ole Miss,” Blair said. “They did a good job and played so much harder than us in the first half. Monk and Scott were special.”
The Aggies finally caught life mid-way through the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to 10 points. However, Ole Miss answered quickly, hitting six of their next nine shots to regain momentum.
Every time the Aggies could have gone on a run, turnovers became their downfall. A&M had 22 turnovers that resulted in 17 points for Ole Miss. The Aggies were also out-rebound 19-8 on the offensive glass, and the Rebels finished with 23 second-chance points. Monk finished with an Ole Miss team-high 19 points to secure the season sweep of Texas A&M.
The lone bright spot for Texas A&M was guard Kayla Wells, who finished with 13 points and four rebounds.
“When you teach, and the players don’t comprehend, that means the coaches have failed,” Blair said. “When you teach and they comprehend, then they learn, but it didn’t happen today.
“They have to realize there’s a sense of urgency, and this coaching staff is trying to get a sense of urgency.”
Texas A&M returns to Reed Arena on Sunday night as the Aggies host Alabama.
