Texas A&M's comeback attempt thwarted by Florida in Gainesville
The SEC is a dive in the deep end, and the most resilient teams find ways to stay afloat.
Down 16 in the second quarter, Texas A&M struggled to even come up for air.
But a potent third quarter appeared to be the lifevest A&M needed, but the Gators' bite slowly released that air.
On Sunday, Texas A&M dropped below water — now 3-4 in the SEC — after a 63-51 loss at Florida.
Outside of the third frame, the Aggies lacked offensively consistency, shooting just 25 percent from the field in the other three quarters.
After missing two games due to a concussion, Janiah Barker came off the bench to give the Aggies their only bucket inside the arc in the first, but A&M's woes continued.
Ten turnovers damaged A&M's offensive efforts until a pair of Solè Williams 3-pointers seemed to be the Aggies' only threat.
Barker took it upon herself to emerge as a weapon in the paint, putting up back-to-back buckets in the lane to give A&M a 7-0 run. Soon after, head-to-head contact with a Florida defender took her out of the game, and she was evaluated for a concussion. Barker did not return.
Florida's scorching 46 percent from the field was powered by the Gators' ultra-efficient Leilani Correa, who was 5-for-8 with 11 points at the half.
A&M's ugly first-half statistics seemed to have flipped on their end after the break. Endyia Rogers fueled A&M's second-half charge, scoring two quick transition buckets and nine during the quarter.
An 11-percent stretch from the Gators slowed their prowl and allowed A&M to steal a 33-31 lead with six minutes to go in the quarter. With Lauren Ware in foul trouble, Aicha Coulibaly stepped up down low and led the team with 16 points.
Yet, A&M's brief stint above water was short-lived.
Nicknamed "The Microwave" because of her ability to heat up, Correa did just that, and her game-high 24 points spoiled A&M’s comeback efforts. The Gators also hit 17-of-22 free throws in the second half to seal the victory.
Although a loss hurts, Joni Taylor’s Aggies proved they can dig themselves out of a hole on the road.
Yet, the concern is the deficit to begin with.
In the SEC, wins on the road are crucial to building a resume worthy of a trip to the NCAA Tournament. A&M has one nearing the mid-way point of the conference slate.
The Aggies have a chance to get back to treading water and .500 in the league against Mississippi State on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m. inside Reed Arena.