Skid reaches four as Texas A&M falls at Mizzou, 81-70

Game #16: Missouri 81, Texas A&M 70
Records: Texas A&M (8-8, 1-6), Missouri (14-9, 2-6)
Box Score

It was always in striking distance for the Aggies, but despite a strong fight back, Texas A&M dropped its fourth straight in an 81-70 loss at Missouri.

Sunday’s game hit its highest intensity in the second half, where the Aggies erupted for a 30-point fourth quarter, ignited by Ny’Ceara Pryor.

In the final frame, Pryor scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, added four assists and two steals. Her takeover performance fueled a comeback that trimmed a 22-point deficit down to seven late in the quarter.

Pryor finished with 22 points to pace A&M, but it was not enough.

Jordan Webster also provided a spark off the bench, knocking down three 3-pointers in a four-minute span during the fourth quarter. Her 12 points marked her highest scoring output in Southeastern Conference play this season.

Early on, the evening affair seemed to be trending the way Aggie games had gone over the last week. A&M trailed 24–9 early in the second quarter as Missouri looked poised to pull away, capitalizing on a stretch in which the Aggies missed 17 of 18 shots from the field.

However, similar to how A&M ended the second half, the Ags battled back in the first half with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 10. The run was capped by a buzzer-beating jumper from Pryor, providing a spark heading into halftime.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Ny’Ceara Pryor led the Aggies against Missouri, scoring 22 points, seven assists and two steals.

Unfortunately, A&M’s Achilles heel continued to be its shooting woes as the Aggies finished at 33 percent for the night. That was magnified in the first and third quarters, where A&M shot just 17 and eight percent, respectively.

The Aggies also had to battle in the fourth quarter without Fatmata Janneh, who fouled out with 9:30 remaining. It marked the fifth time she has fouled out this season and came with A&M trailing by 19, seemingly ending any comeback possibility.

Still, Pryor led a 10-0 run in just 1:12 to make it a game.

Missouri responded at the free-throw line, converting key shots in the closing minutes to keep the Aggies at bay and ensure that the comeback would not be completed.

Under first-year head coach Kellie Harper, Missouri continued to trend upward. The Tigers lead the SEC in both 3-point and free-throw percentage. Grace Slaughter, sixth in the conference in scoring, led the way with 24 points. Five Tigers reached double figures.

Despite this loss taking them to .500 on the season, the Aggies hope to build from their late-game momentum.

They will need it as they enter another gauntlet stretch, facing ranked Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky in their next four matchups.