Texas A&M
20-5, 10-3
Oklahoma State
17-9, 5-8
Texas A&M 62, Oklahoma State 60
Feb 17, 2007 | Women's Basketball
February 17, 2007
Takia Starks hit a jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to help No. 13 Texas A&M survive another scare from Oklahoma State with a 62-60 win Saturday night.
The Cowgirls, who lost on a free throw with the same amount of time remaining in the teams' previous meeting this season, rallied from six points down in the final 3 minutes to tie the game on Maria Cordero's layup with 23 seconds left.
After a timeout, point guard A'Quonesia Franklin dribbled down most of the remaining time before the Aggies (20-5, 10-3 Big 12) had to scramble to get the ball to Starks near the foul line.
Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke then called a timeout to set up a play, but Starks stole a long inbounds pass near the Cowgirls' 3-point line.
Danielle Gant, who hit the winning free throw in the Aggies' 64-63 win over Oklahoma State on Jan. 30, finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for her sixth double-double. Starks scored 13 and Morenike Atunrase had 10 for Texas A&M.
Freshman Andrea Riley matched her career high with 21 points, Danielle Chism scored 11 and Rashidat Sadiq added 10 for Oklahoma State (17-9, 5-8).
Gant's free throw with 5:36 remaining gave the Aggies a 49-48 lead, and she added a three-point play off an offensive rebound on A&M's next possession to stretch the lead to four.
She made it 56-50 by banking in a right-handed shot from the right side.
Oklahoma State closed to within 57-56 on Andrea Riley's two free throws with 1:36 to play, with Budke flapping both arms in the air to encourage the crowd to stand and cheer, which he also did during Atunrase's missed free throw that gave his team a chance to tie.
Riley's driving layup tied it at 58 with just over a minute to play, but Atunrase answered with a jumper in the key for the Aggies with 44.4 seconds left.
Riley set up Cordero's layup on the other end, but the Aggies had another stunner in store for the Cowgirls.
It was A&M's seventh straight win over the Cowgirls.
Oklahoma State fell to 0-6 this season against ranked foes.
Oklahoma State held the Aggies without a basket for more than 6 minutes in the first half, scoring nine straight points to take a 15-9 lead on Sadiq's 3-pointer from the right wing.
Texas A&M scored seven points in a row to claim a 26-23 lead on a basket by La Toya Micheaux. The game was tied at 28 at halftime.
The Aggies host Texas Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. A&M is an undefeated 14-0 this season at Reed Arena.
Postgame Notes...With the victory, Texas A&M sweeps Oklahoma State for the third-straight year and fourth time in Big 12 Conference play?...The Aggies recorded their 10th league win to give them back-to-back 10-win seasons in conference play for the first time in the 11-year existence of the Big 12?...A&M also picked up its seventh all-time 20-win season and first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the 1995-96 season?...The Aggies recorded three-straight 20-win seasons from 1994 to 1996?...Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair has now led 16 different teams to 20-win seasons combined at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and A&M combined in his 22-year coaching career?...For only the second time this season, A&M used the starting lineup of junior A?™Quonesia Franklin, sophomore Takia Starks, junior Morenike Atunrase, sophomore Danielle Gant and sophomore La Toya Micheaux?...They are now 2-0 this season including an upset of No. 9 Baylor on Jan. 13?...It was unlike the Aggies to commit their second-most turnovers of the season with 22 against Oklahoma State with 13 miscues in just the first half alone?...Meanwhile, the Cowgirls turned over the ball 16 times during the ballgame in which the Aggies converted into 18 points?...For the second-straight contest, A&M scored less than 20 points off opponent turnovers?...Danielle Gant grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to mark her seventh time to bring down double-digit boards this season?...She turned in her sixth career double-double including the second of her career against OSU?...Gant previously scored 16 points and a season-high 15 rebounds versus the Cowgirls on Jan. 30?...Ironically, Gant has brought down double-digit boards on all four occasions she has faced Oklahoma State?...She has scored in seven of the team?™s last eight contests?...A&M had balanced scoring with all eight players who entered the game contributing to the team?™s 62 total points of the game?...Junior Katy Pounds (Shallowater, Texas) scored six crucial points of the night in the first half to cut the lead for the Aggies?...It was the second-straight game to be decided by two points or less versus OSU?...Their Jan. 30 meeting was decided by one point (64-63) in favor of A&M?...La Toya Micheaux turned in her sixth game of the season with double-digit boards with 11 against the Cowgirls?...She has done so in the three of A&M?™s last four outings?...Morenike Atunrase had her first double figure game notching 10 points versus OSU?...It was her first since suffering a sprained right ankle at Oklahoma on Jan. 27?...She previously had 18 points in the ballgame versus the Sooners?...A&M outrebounded OSU, 41-34?...The Cowgirls ranked 10th nationally in rebounding margin (+9.0) prior to the game...A&M was only the fourth opponent this season to win at historic Gallagher-Iba Arena.
