Three Aggies notch double-doubles as A&M defeats Kentucky in home finale

Press conference video courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics.

The bitter taste of this season was temporarily rinsed away for Texas A&M.

While the enjoyment of a 74-67 Southeastern Conference win over Kentucky may soil in a few days, it was still more than enough to savor what A&M head coach Joni Taylor hopes is permanently on the table in the future.

With only one game left and a deep run in the SEC Tournament only a distant aspiration, A&M (7-18) is now tied with the Wildcats for last place in the conference with a 2-13 league record.

Still, a strong close to the season may be the most important indicator of progress for a team that battled through a slew of injuries and one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

“We talked about this the entire week, how are we going to finish? Finish at your best,” Taylor said. “This is our last time playing at home, in front of our fans who have supported us all year long. The 12th Man has been absolutely great.

“It’s always bigger than us, and I think they’ve taken that message to heart. I’m really proud again with how we’ve continued to fight and get better and grow through this year. This game could have ended a totally different way.”

It certainly could have.

Though the Aggies held on to a double-digit advantage for the better part of the second half, the Wildcats weren’t easily tamed.

Maddie Scherr, who finished with 18 points, drilled two straight 3-pointers from the wing to bring Kentucky within seven with 31 seconds left in the third.

The basket was an alarming sight for the Aggies as they’ve consistently collapsed in the final quarter throughout conference play. Further anxiety stemmed when Robyn Benton fired from deep to make it a 58-52 game with six minutes to play.

But A&M kept its foot on the pedal.

Kay Kay Green responded with a layup before Janiah Barker finished on the fastbreak to push their lead back to 66-54.

Scherr continued to claw away as she scored 13 of Kentucky’s final 15, predominately around the perimeter. Breaking the Wildcats’ full-court press ultimately paid dividends as it allowed the Aggies to convert off a couple of long passes underneath the hoop to solidify the win. 

“The confidence that my teammates and coaches have in me, it means a lot,” Green said. “With them behind me, I feel like I can do anything. We haven’t been good in the fourth quarter, so I knew that we really needed to close it out, and that’s what we did.”

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Sahara Jones posted career highs in scoring and rebounds with a team-best 18 points and 11 boards. 

Four different Aggies registered double figures in the scoring column. For the first time since 2017, three of those four had double-doubles on the same night.

Junior guard Sahara Jones had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Barker scored 16. Aaliyah Patty logged her third double-double of the year with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Green put up 14 and dished out a career-best 10 assists.

It was undoubtedly the team’s most complete outing in recent memory. Besides the impressive individual contributions, they out-rebounded the Wildcats, 46-29, and corralled 14 offensive boards. The Aggies also shot 49 percent from the field and dominated the paint with 38 points.

Coming off a lifeless 61-35 loss to Missouri on Monday, it was a complete turnaround in the right direction.

Taylor didn’t hesitate to admit how much the team needed a lift in tonight’s home finale. 

“It was huge,” Taylor said. “Nobody wants to lose. It’s not fun. Growing pains hurt, but for them to be able to get another win, it feels good for everybody. I’m really happy for them.”

The growing pains may have hurt. But if this showing is any indication, they proved necessary.