Early blitzing cools A&M's short-lived momentum in Lexington loss
Game #20: No. 18 Kentucky 75, Texas A&M 55
Records: Texas A&M (9-11, 2-9), Kentucky (19-7, 6-6)
Box Score
This one will leave you feeling blue.
After pulling off a huge ranked victory over Alabama on Sunday, Texas A&M’s momentum was halted on Thursday in Lexington, Ky., as the Aggies dropped a 75-55 decision to the 18th-ranked Wildcats.
Coming off a statement win over the Crimson Tide, A&M saw that momentum come to a screeching halt in a game that was effectively decided in the opening minutes.
The Wildcats blitzed A&M out of the gate, racing to a 16-0 lead before the Aggies found the scoreboard. Kentucky shot 61 percent in the first quarter, knocked down four of its first five 3-point attempts and built a 22-point advantage after the opening 10 minutes.
Kentucky had three players score 17 or more points. Tonie Morgan finished with 19 points and eight assists. Clara Strack posted 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Asia Boone added 19 points, including three 3-pointers in the first six minutes to fuel the early surge.
Despite the lopsided final score, the game wasn’t without positives for Joni Taylor’s squad. After allowing 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting in the first quarter, the Aggies tightened up defensively.
Over the final three quarters, Kentucky shot just 15-of-54 from the field and made only three of its next 20 attempts from beyond the arc. In fact, A&M outscored the Wildcats by two points across the final 30 minutes.
In addition, the Aggies' defense allowed 27 points in the first and 11-for-18 shooting. The rest of the game, the Wildcats shot 15-of-54 and made only three of their next 20 3-pointers.
Ny’Ceara Pryor led the Aggies with 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals, providing consistent energy on both ends. Fatmata Janneh contributed 10 points and eight boards, while Janae Kent added 12 points.
The main reason Thursday was so deflating is that the hole seemed too far to climb so early in this contest, and although the Aggies attempted to fight back, it never felt like Kentucky was in danger.
The loss cools the momentum built from Sunday’s ranked victory, but the Aggies still have five regular-season games remaining.
Up next is Auburn, which enters Reed Arena on a six-game losing streak. Sunday offers A&M an opportunity to reset and get back on track.
