Texas A&M trounced by No. 18 Tide in Tuscaloosa, 88-49

The losses continued stacking on Thursday night as Joni Taylor & Co. search for answers.

In Tuscaloosa, No. 18 Alabama (20-5, 7-4 SEC) overwhelmed Texas A&M (10-14, 3-9 SEC), handing the Aggies an all-too-familiar and sixth-straight SEC loss, 88-49.

Coming off a bye, Taylor was hoping to use the break as a time to get healthy before facing her alma mater. However, another night with only eight players available contributed to the difference between the surging Crimson Tide and the collapsing Aggies.

A lack of depth certainly played a part in the disparity, but the problems in Thursday's meeting surpassed A&M's roster issues.

The Aggies were outplayed in every facet of the game.

The Maroon & White shot 20 percent worse than the Crimson Tide from the field, lost the rebounding battle, turned the ball over more and were walloped defensively.

Alabama's 55 percent clip from the field and 12 made 3-pointers displayed that of a caliber conference team. On the other hand, A&M struggled with the basic fundamentals — taking care of the basketball and putting the ball in the hoop, especially in the first half.

It was the Crimson Tide's scorching start that flustered A&M from the jump.

Shooting a mind-boggling 71 percent from deep in the first frame, the Crimson Tide's lights-out effort from deep led to a crushing 17-0 run.

Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye powered Alabama's attack, each posting double digits in the first half. A&M would go on to score just 16 in the first 20 minutes.

Kendal Lockler, TexAgs

Janae Kent led Texas A&M scorers with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

Until Amirah Abdur-Rahim's jumper with 3:02 until the break, only two players — Sahara Jones and Janae Kent — had scored for the Aggies.

A&M's starting point guard Solè Williams did not have a single-made basket the entire 40 minutes. As the Aggies' usual threat from deep, she went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, bleeding into the Aggies' 0-for-13 night from 3-point range.

With Aicha Coulibaly sidelined, there has not been a consistent offensive threat emerge on Taylor's roster. The head coach watched her former player Barker, who played two seasons under Taylor at Georgia, drop 18 and only play four minutes in the second half.

Former Aggie Zaay Green also greatly contributed to the thrashing of her former squad. A member of Gary Blair's 2020-21 squad, Green's efficient third frame allowed the Crimson Tide's lead to swell to 40 heading into the final quarter.

A&M's night somehow became worse when Abdur-Rahim went down, grabbing her ankle and having to be helped off the court, leaving just seven players available with a pair in foul trouble.

Jada Malone provided a way-too-late spark, scoring all 17 of her points in the second half. Kent and Jones supplied the majority of A&M's 49 points, with 14 and 11, respectively. All 11 players on the Crimson Tide roster scored against the Aggies, with four in double figures.

In seven true road opportunities, A&M has yet to win a game away from College Station this season.

With Taylor's all-time record in Aggieland sitting at 38-47, many concerned eyes look toward the women's basketball program. Thursday's inexcusable 39-point defeat is the sixth loss of 20 or more this season.

Four games remain on the regular-season schedule, and A&M is desperate for a victory. If the slide continues, the once national championship-winning program could sink into the cellar of the SEC.

A&M's next chance to find the win column is against Florida on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.