Four Aggies notch double figures in blowout win over Texas State, 67-46
Four Aggies reached double figures as dominant first and third periods carried Texas A&M (4-1) women's basketball to a 67-46 victory over Texas State (3-2) at Reed Arena on Wednesday afternoon.
"I've said it before, I do think we have some offensive versatility," Texas A&M head coach Joni Taylor said. "I think it makes it difficult to take away one person because there are other players who can do some things for us."
Sahara Jones and Aaliyah Patty led the way for the Aggies, scoring 11 points apiece. Tineya Hylton and Janiah Barker added 10 each.
"Defensively, we can come together as a team to get stops, but also on offense, we have a lot of talent on our team, especially young players," Hylton said. "We know as individuals that we're very talented and that it's going to fall into place."
A wire-to-wire victory, the Aggies jumped out to a 19-8 lead at the end of the first quarter as Texas State missed its first six field goal attempts.
A&M's lead grew to as many as 15 early in the second, but the Bobcats responded. Taking advantage of an A&M scoring drought of over three minutes, the visitors mounted a 9-0 run but never trimmed the deficit closer than six points.
"I think we didn't have the same energy, we didn't talk, and we have to be more focused and locked in," Taylor said of the Aggies' second-quarter performance. "That goes back to the mentality we have to have when we're on the floor."
The Aggies led 30-21 at halftime, with Jones leading all scorers with 11 first-half points. A&M's defense held the Bobcats to a paltry 26 percent (9-of-34) from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
"It goes back to being able to put four quarters together," Taylor said. "When we're able to do that, we do some things really well, and when we don't, we do some things really bad and really poorly."
Texas State's Da'Nasia Hood poured in 10 points in the first half, but A&M held her in check as she mustered just two after the break. Still, Hood finished with a game-high 12 points.
"She's an elite player," Taylor said of Hood. "She averages 25 a game. We spent a lot of our halftime talking about making her uncomfortable."
A&M took a commanding 38-21 lead by opening the third quarter on an 8-0 run as triples from Patty and McKinzie Green highlighted the scoring spree.
With about three minutes remaining in the third, Barker blocked Nicole Leff and took it coast-to-coast for a layup. After missing the ensuing and-1 opportunity, Bowles drilled a 3-pointer as the lead swelled to 20.
To pour salt in the Bobcats' wounds, Hylton drilled a half-court shot at the buzzer to give A&M a 23-point edge to close a third period in which the Ags outscored the visitors 21-7.
"Honestly, I just shot it, and if it went in, it went in," Hylton said. "I hoped it went in, which it did, but that was definitely my first half-court shot, so it was pretty exciting."
With the outcome never in doubt, A&M cruised in the fourth quarter to its third 20-point win of the Taylor era.
"It's getting them to understand still what that looks like and the expectation to do that every night, so that's some of the things we're trying to work through and figure out," Taylor said.
The Aggies conclude a three-game homestand on Sunday when they host Rice for a 2 p.m. CT tip.
