Aggies dismantle Rebels, 4-1, behind Wilkinson's first-half brace
The Ags dusted off their boots, seamlessly re-entering the Southeastern Conference win column.
In a dominant showing, Texas A&M (8-5, 3-2) defeated Ole Miss (5-9, 0-5) on Friday in Oxford, 4-1.
The Rebels have now lost six straight.
With 10 seniors on the roster, freshman defender Tate Blincoe was the only non-senior starting for the Rebels.
Both teams vied for control of possession early on.
Grace Ivey opened with an attempt in the fourth minute. Taking her shot at a distance, it was easily blocked by senior Shu Ohba. Ohba, who played for the Japanese national team over the summer, has proven to be an excellent distance blocker for Ole Miss this season.
The Rebels took their first attempt in the 12th minute as senior forward Kelly Brady’s shot went out right.
In the 13th minute, another distant shot was easily saved by Ohba as Sydney Becerra’s attempt landed in her arms.
A series of shots before the 20th minute saw play intensify. Without closing in at goal, the Maroon & White seemingly had no chance against Ohba.
However, the missing piece was found as midfielder Adysen Armenta and forward Jazmine Wilkinson entered the Ole Miss box. A close cross allowed Wilkinson to claim the Aggies’ first goal of the night in the 26th minute.
That was Wilkinson’s first conference goal of the season.
Momentum began to intensify as Rebel midfielder Aubrey Mister approached the Aggie goal.
A&M’s defense also remained consistent as their strong backline ended multiple Rebel attempts.
Blocked by Sydney Fuller in the 27th minute, the Aggies regained possession of Aubrey Mister’s shot; leading the way to more Ivey and Wilkinson attempts.
Again, in the 32nd minute, Wilkinson scored to claim a brace and extend the Maroon & White’s lead.
Texas A&M held their own and entered the half up 2-0.
Ole Miss closely followed the Aggies in attempts, with eight shots compared to A&M’s 11, but was lacking in finishing. The Rebels also had difficulty closing into the A&M goal, sending a majority of attempts off-target.
Entering the second half, the Aggies kept up the intensity as Ole Miss tightened play for a heated second half.
Wilkinson continued to dominate leading into the 55th minute. A smooth pass from her gave Ivey the tap-in to capture the third Aggie goal of the night.
Conserving energy while keeping a tight goal allowed A&M to fend off the Rebels’ offense.
In the 81st minute, Taylor Jernigan increased the Aggie lead, curving her shot around the Ole Miss defense.
Ole Miss continued fighting to the end. In the 85th minute, they finally got on the board off an Aggie foul. Defender Katie Ramsden took advantage of the free kick to put the Rebel ball deep in Fuller’s net.
But for Ole Miss, it was too little, too late.
Now, coach G Guerrieri and the Aggies look forward to their return to Ellis Field next Thursday to face Vanderbilt (5-2-5, 0-2-3).
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.