A short-handed roster and a short-circuited offensive performance led to a short time in Greenville, South Carolina.
To open the 2025 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, #16 Texas A&M scored just five more points (37) than turnovers committed (32) as #9 Tennessee rolled the Aggies 77-37 on Wednesday.
It marked the end of a forgettable season with a bland conference play for A&M women's hoops.
"There are times when this league, top to bottom, is really good," A&M head coach Joni Taylor said. "And even when you say it's top-heavy, the bottom half of our league is excellent.
"That is what is so special about this conference. You want to play with and against the best every night. You want to be challenged. You want to find out how good you are. You want to compete."
A repeated sentiment throughout the season, the Aggies could not keep up with just seven players available.
A season-low six points scored in the second quarter proved to be one of the most pitiful frames of the year.
A&M scored single digits in all but one quarter, logging their lowest-scoring game since Dec. 29, 2021, when Taylor & Co. only had seven players healthy vs. No. 1 South Carolina.
Starting point guard Solè Williams returned to A&M’s starting lineup after missing two games with a concussion. Yet, the sophomore was ineffective, logging a made 3-pointer and a free throw to finish with four points.
A&M held the Lady Vols in check in the first 10 minutes before the contest got out of hand.
Forcing a 19 percent field goal percentage in the first quarter, the Aggies held a 13-11 lead, but Tennessee quickly stole the advantage and never looked back.
In the second, a woeful shooting performance and a plethora of turnovers plagued any positive momentum the Aggies had. The Lady Vols' full-court press exhausted A&M, and with a two-deep bench, rest was limited.
In her last game in Maroon & White, Sahara Jones registered a team-high 16 points. Helped off the court due to injury before halftime, she returned in an attempt to provide a spark.
The fifth-year veteran added three in the third and another six in the final frame. Yet, the sheer amount of ball insecurity exposed the offense.
The Lady Vols scored 17 unanswered points to conclude the penultimate quarter and capped off the 40-point win with another 10-0 run, handing A&M its second-largest loss of the year.
An NCAA Tournament team a season ago, expectations for Taylor's third year in Aggieland fell way short, ending with a 10-19 overall record.
"From this season, I took away my own personal growth, on and off the floor," Jones said. "My leadership has gotten better under Joni and the coaching staff and Lauren (Ware), my teammate.
"I feel like I have had a lot of growth in that area, and as a basketball player, Joni pushed me to do more every day and have confidence in myself."
Ware voiced what lessons she learned from A&M's disappointing season.
"This season didn't do the way we wanted it to, but in a way, I think it gave an opportunity to look at what it really takes to be successful in this league, day in and day out,” she said. “That is something Joni harped on all year.”
Competing in a powerhouse conference, Taylor & Co. will have an offseason to find ways to improve and learn from the hardships.
