Texas A&M
5-0
Michigan
3-3
No. 8 Aggies Top Michigan, 67-49
Nov 27, 2010 | Women's Basketball
CANCUN, Mexico - Texas A&M senior Danielle Adams posted a game-high 17 points and junior Adaora Elonu scored 14 as the eighth-ranked Aggie women's basketball team picked up a 67-49 win over Michigan on Saturday night in its final game of the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic.
Elonu (Houston, Texas) and Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) also combined for 15 rebounds and A&M (5-0) led the Wolverines (3-3) by as many as 28 in the second half.
The Aggies got out to an 11-4 start behind five first-half points from White, and never trailed in the contest.
A&M extended its lead to 12 with 6:57 remaining in the period after a 9-1 run. Through the stretch, the Aggie defense held the Wolverines without a field goal for over eight minutes.
A&M went into the locker room at the half up 34-20, scored eight of the first 11 points in the second half and extended its lead to 20 with a basket by sophomore Adrienne Pratcher at 13:18.
The Aggies got nine points each from junior Tyra White and senior Sydney Colson. White added a season-high three steals and Colson matched her season-best by dishing out three assists in just 15 minutes of action off the bench.
Kate Thompson was the only Michigan player to score in double figures and finished with a team-best 12 points.
Adams, Elonu and Colson were named to the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament team.
Up next, A&M hosts California on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. in a nationally televised game on FSN.
POSTGAME NOTES
- For the fifth straight game, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Sydney Carter, Maryann Baker, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Danielle Adams.
- The Aggies remained unbeaten against Michigan and moved to 3-0 in the all-time series. Eighteen points is the second-largest margin of victory in the series.
- A&M forced the Wolverines to make a season-high 22 turnovers, 12 of which came in the first half. U-M was also limited to a season-low three 3-pointers and an 18.8 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
- Texas A&M dominated down low and nearly doubled Michigan in rebounding, 38-22. The Aggies grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, compared to just three from the Wolverines.
- Eleven different Aggies contributed in scoring A&M's 67 points.
- Senior Danielle Adams' 17 points extended her double-digit scoring streak to 14 games.
- Sophomore Adrienne Pratcher (Memphis, Tenn.) saw a career-best 20 minutes of action, scored two points and added a pair of assists.
- Sophomore Kristi Bellock matched her career-best with four rebounds in a career-high 11 minutes of action.
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH Gary Blair
On the game…
"We did some good things in the ball game tonight. They were clogging it up in the middle and leaving us the outside shot the whole ball game we just didn't hit our share of the shots. Tyra (White) did a good job and (Adaora) Elonu was very good in the second half. Danielle (Adams) was being squeezed in there and sometimes we have to put her on the outside like we did last year. It was a good win. Now we'll go back to the states and get ready for California, a very good Pac-10 team."
On a lot of players seeing action…
"This game I was glad to be able to empty my bench and get some work in. I've got a lot of talent and I believe in playing those kids. Sometimes we have to live with some of the mistakes they're going to make and that's why they're called a bench. They'll come in now and hopefully one day they'll become my starters."
On Sydney Colson starting the second half…
"I started Sydney (Colson) in the second half to provide a spark to the team and I thought that was key. The offense just runs smoother when she's in the ball game."
JUNIOR GUARD Sydney Carter
On A&M's play against Michigan…
"We did a much better job offensively, but defensively we still haven't clicked yet. We still haven't played defense how we normally can and that's something we really need to work on."
On the keys to winning the game…
"One, people really stepped up when other people weren't hitting their shots. Two, when Sydney (Colson) comes in, she always changes tempo of a game. And three, we definitely got inside more and stopped settling for outside shots."
