March 09, 2006
A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin scored 14 points for No. 22 Texas A&M but Sophia Young scored 29 points for No. 10 Baylor as the Aggies dropped a 53-52 decision in the semifinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women?â„¢s Basketball Championship Thursday at Reunion Arena in front of 4,212.
A&M (23-8) was making its first appearance in the semifinals while Baylor (24-5) will move to the finals for a second straight season.
The game featured 11 lead changes and 11 ties. A&M held a five point lead midway through the first half while Baylor had a four point lead three different times.
During the last 10 minutes of the game, neither team led by more than three points.
?Folks across the nation just saw a great ballgame,? A&M coach Gary Blair said. ?They had one thing we didn?â„¢t have and that was Sophia Young.?
Young outscored her own team as she had 29 and the rest of the Lady Bears tallied 25 points.
?(A&M?â„¢s) defense, just defense does exactly what Gary asked them to do.? Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson said. ?They play hard, they gamble, they make it tough on you, they contest shots. I just thought they gave an effort that was just outstanding.?
A&M cut Baylor?â„¢s 51-48 lead in the final 30 seconds to 51-50 when Danielle Gant drove the right side of the lane against Young for a bucket.
Baylor answered with a pair of free throws by Angela Tisdale with 17 seconds left.
The final play featured Franklin searching for a three pointer. Her attempt fell short and Gant put the ball back as time expired. Gant finished with 10 points and eight rebounds on 5-of-5 shooting.
?We were going for an open three pointer, but Baylor?â„¢s great defense, they were switching everything,? Franklin said. ?Sophia (Young) ended up on me at one point in time. But them just being tall and me being 5-3, I really could not see over. So Coach Blair had taught me to always to keep the ball in my hands and value the basketball. So that?â„¢s what I did and for the last three seconds and got off a shot.?
A&M outrebounded Baylor 42-41 but it was the first time A&M had lost when outrebouding its opponent in 16 games.
Baylor took an early 14-10 lead, but the Aggies answered with a 9-0 run to take a 19-14 advantage midway through the frame.
Baylor held a 28-27 lead at the break.
Young scored 16 points in the first half.
A&M used a 10-2 run early in the second half to take a 38-34 lead. Franklin started the run with a pair of three pointers.
The Aggies?â„¢ Patrice Reado tallied nine points and nine rebounds with a pair of blocked shots. She had a season-best six offensive rebounds
All-Big 12 First Team selection Morenike Atunrase scored eight points, six rebounds, four assists, and four blocks for A&M.
A&M expects to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 when the bracket is announced on Monday at 6 p.m.
NOTES?-Patrice Reado was selected as the State Farm Player of the Game. Franklin drained a career-high matching four three-pointers. Young?â„¢s 29 points were the most allowed by A&M this season.