August 17, 2006
Sophomore Takia Starks and freshman Ashlaa Horton each scored 13 points as the Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball team claimed a 25-point victory over F.C. Lyon, 73-48, Thursday night.
In only their second game of their 10-day European Tour, the Aggies brought more defensive intensity against a much faster-paced Lyon squad. A&M stole the ball 15 times and made 23 deflections.
Horton, who redshirted last season, shot 6-for-8 from the floor including a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter. She was one-of-three Aggies to score in double figures along with Starks and junior Morenike Atunrase who added 10 points off the bench.
A&M never trailed in the game and took its largest lead of 26 points in the third quarter. The Aggies shot 45.8 percent from the field (32-70), 44.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc (4-9) and 64.3 percent from the free throw line (9-14).
?We came out in the third quarter and did some things in transition to get our feet under us,? Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair said. ?We are making a lot of substitutions and starting different lineups to give everyone a start overseas. But, we have to get our team to play a little smarter, not harder.
?We might not play well all the time, but this is just a trademark of an A&M basketball team. We play the game awfully hard. But as this trip goes on, I think it?â„¢s time that we realize that we are not a freshmen and sophomore team anymore. We have good juniors and seniors on this team that are helping us, but we just have to be a little smarter out there.?
Last season, F.C. Lyon finished eighth in its 14-team league in the women?â„¢s basketball division of France.
?The team is 2-0 and we are playing in spurts,? Blair said. ?But, we must be doing something right to come over here and adjust to the officiating and international rules. We had a lot of turnovers tonight (21), but some of them were unforced turnovers, because we don?â„¢t know all of the rules yet. We?â„¢ll adjust and we?â„¢ll learn as we continue on our trip.?
A&M will take on BBC Troistorrents tomorrow night in Montreux, Switzerland. The Aggies will then face Martigny on Aug. 19 in Martigny, Switzerland, and Roquebrune on Aug. 22 in Nice, France.
TEXAS A&M 73, F.C. LYON 48
8/17/06 ?- 8:00 PM
at Lyon, France
BOX SCORE ?- Texas A&M (2-0) STARKS, Takia 6-12 0-0 13; GULLEY, LaToya 1-8 0-0 3; READO, Patrice 4-11 1-2 9; ZIMOVA, Lenka 1-4 1-2 3; GANT, Danielle 3-4 1-4 7; FRANKLIN, A?â„¢Quonesia 2-5 0-0 4; ATUNRASE, Morenike 3-6 4-4 10; MICHEAUX, La Toya 1-4 0-0 2; HORTON, Ashlaa 6-8 0-0 13; WILKS, Jennifer 2-6 2-2 6; POUNDS, Katy 1-2 0-0 3. TOTALS 32-70 9-14 73.
Texas A&M?............. 14 18 20 21 ?- 73
F.C. Lyon ?...?............. 6 16 10 16 ?- 48
3-point goals ?- 4-9 (HORTON, Ashlaa; GULLEY, La Toya 1-1). Fouled out ?- None. Rebounds ?- 33 (READO, Patrice 6). Assists ?- 14 (GULLEY, La Toya 4). Total fouls ?- 19. Attendance ?- 78.