Texas A&M
16-1, 4-0
Texas
11-7, 0-4
No. 5 Aggies Down Longhorns, 80-65
Jan 19, 2011 | Women's Basketball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Texas A&M hadn't lost to Texas in almost four years, so to look up at the scoreboard and see a nine-point deficit with about 15 minutes remaining didn't sit well with the sixth-ranked Aggies.
They picked up their play and pretty soon they were back on top and on the way to another win.
Danielle Adams had a career-high 34 points and 12 rebounds as Texas A&M rallied for its 10th straight win, an 80-65 victory over rival Texas on Wednesday night.
"We just saw we were down," Adams said. "We never like to be down versus Texas, so we knew we had to pick it up."
The Aggies (16-1, 4-0 Big 12) trailed at halftime for just the second time and struggled in the early part of the second half to fall farther behind.
Adams gave the Aggies their first lead of the second half with a 3-pointer with about 11 minutes left that made it 48-45. That shot capped a 14-2 run for Texas A&M in a 4-minute stretch that was aided by six turnovers by Texas.
"I thought we played them pretty well for a good bit of the game, but they really intensified their pressure in the second half, got a couple of steals and it was like a feeding frenzy all of the sudden," Texas coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I thought we lost our poise. We turned the ball over, gave them some easy baskets and then I think they gained a lot of confidence when we turned the ball over in that stretch."
Texas A&M had built its lead to seven before the Longhorns got within four with 6 minutes to go. The Aggies scored seven straight points to push the lead to 72-61 about 3 minutes later.
Freshman Chassidy Fussell scored a season-high 26 points for the Longhorns (11-7, 0-4).
Adams scored in double digits for the 26th straight game to help Texas A&M to its ninth straight win over Texas. The Aggies outscored the Longhorns 40-10 in the paint thanks to the Adams' performance.
"Danielle Adams, we had no answer for her," Goestenkors said. "On the inside, the outside she just pretty much did what she wanted to do."
Adams, who has struggled to improve her endurance played a career-high 39 minutes.
"To be honest, I didn't even know I played 39 minutes," she said. "I looked at the paper and it said 39 minutes and I was pretty shocked. It's just the extra conditioning I've been putting in."
It was a rare close game for the Aggies, who have won each of their last nine games and 12 games overall this season by at least 25 points.
"We haven't had a close game since Duke when we lost," said Texas A&M's Sydney Colson. "This was finally a test for us. Just to get out and be behind we realized we needed to come back out and fix a lot of things."
Fussell, who entered the game averaging a team-leading 16.6 points, had 17 by halftime. She cooled off a bit after halftime and her first points of the second half didn't come until a pair of free throws with just under 13 minutes remaining.
Texas has led at halftime in two of its three previous Big 12 losses and trailed Baylor by just two points at halftime before losing 87-72.
"I feel like its always in the second half where we just lose our focus and fall apart as a team," Fussell said.
The Aggies had a five point lead before Goestenkors received a technical foul for arguing a call and Adams hit both free throws to make it 61-54 with about 8 minutes to go.
Texas was up by nine before the Aggies got a spark off the bench from Maryann Baker. Baker scored, forced a turnover and had the assist on a three point play by Tyra White to start a 9-0 run that tied it at 43-all with about 13 minutes remaining.
"She just makes plays," Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said of Baker. "I thought Maryann was the difference in the ball game with the energy she gave our team and the key plays."
Baker finished with 14 points and a season-high seven rebounds, while White added 12 points and nine rebounds.The Longhorns led by four at halftime and a 3-pointer by Kathleen Nash early in the second half capped a 6-0 run that pushed their advantage to 39-31.
Nash finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Texas A&M led by one point with about 5 minutes left in the first half before Texas used a 10-5 scoring spurt, led by five points from Chelsea Bass, to take a 33-29 halftime lead. The other time they were behind at halftime this season was in their only loss of the season--a 61-58 at No. 3 Duke.
Up next, the Aggies travel to Ames, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 22 for an 11 a.m. game at No. 20 Iowa State that is televised nationally on FSN.
POSTGAME NOTES
- For the 11th time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Sydney Colson, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Danielle Adams. The Aggies are 10-1 with this starting lineup.
- The Aggies improve to 21-58 in the all-time series with Texas. A&M has now won nine straight and 11 of the last 12 meetings. What's more is in each of the last seven contests, the Aggies have won by double figures.
- Texas A&M continues its best starts in school history at 16-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12 Conference.
- The Aggies remained undefeated at home with an 8-0 record this season and have now 77 of its last 84 home games for a 91.7 home winning percentage over the past six seasons.
- A&M outrebounded Texas 49-42 to tally its second-most rebounds this season next to 54 at Rice on Nov. 20, 2010.
- Danielle Adams matched a Reed Arena record with a career-high 34 points. The previous record was also 34 points by Jaynetta Saunders on Jan. 20, 2001.
- Danielle Adams posted her ninth career double-double and seventh this season. She has now scored 30+ points for the third time this season.
- Tyra White reached double figures for the ninth straight game and 14th time this season.
- Sydney Colson matched her season high with five steals.
- In addition to a season-high seven rebounds, Maryann Baker reached double figures for the 4th time this season. She was 7-of-8 from the floor for a career-best 87.5 shooting percent.
- The attendance of 6,557 was the largest of the season for the Aggies and the 14th largest in program history.
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH Gary Blair
Opening statement...
"That's the second best team we've played next to Duke. It's a shame they're 0-4 (in Big 12 play). I think Texas will go on a run now. They play too well to get shutout. Chassidy Fussell is one of the best players in the country. They had to rely on one-on-one so much with their guards, but guards get worn out, especially if Sydney Carter is defending you. It's a shame that game was a 15-point difference. There's no way we were 15 points better tonight, but we were better the second half and that's the half that usually counts. I'm proud of this team because we were definitely not at our best, but Texas had a lot to do with that."
On Maryann Baker...
"I went with Maryann (Baker) to try and get us some hustle points and because she's good on the press. She just makes plays and I thought that was the difference in the game - the energy she gave our team and her key plays."
On the first half...
"It was the first time all year we didn't start off in a press because we were worried about their transition and I'll take the blame on that. We've got to do what we do best and not give the other team so much credit. Their lack of turnovers kept them in the game. We had the best shots in America in the first half and we were short on them, so we just had to keep riding Danielle (Adams) as long as we could."
On any adjustments in the second half...
"In the second half, Coach Bond made an adjustment on one of the plays we ran to get Danielle (Adams) open down low a couple times and that was key. That's what assistants are for."
On the season-best crowd...
"Our crowd was tremendous. The students were great; it was great to have them back. People were standing the whole game and people got their money's worth. That's what the crowd at an A&M and Texas game is supposed to be. They can make such a difference in basketball. When we come back in a couple weeks and play I want a sell-out crowd."
SENIOR FORWARD/CENTER Danielle Adams
On the first half...
"Coach told us they were going to come out with a lot of energy. I guess we took for granted and got off to a slow start. We made some adjustments and we got back to our regular selves."
On the run to tie the game...
"We just saw that we were down and we never like to be down. We knew we had to pick it up. My teammates did what they had to do to get the lead back."
On her endurance...
"To be honest I didn't even know I played 39 minutes. That's just the extra conditioning I've been doing with (Strength and Conditioning Coach) Jen Jones."
SENIOR GUARD Sydney Colson
On the game...
"We haven't had a close game since Duke, when we lost. I think that this was finally a test for us, just to get out and be behind in the first half. We realized we needed to come out and fix a lot of things in the second half and we really got into our game. We started getting some steals, and converting in transition really helped our game out. When we get the crowd and the team into it, it's a real confidence booster."
SENIOR GUARD Maryann Baker
On the game and what changed in the second half...
"We finally realized we were letting them get too far ahead and get too much confidence, and we had to start playing our game. It reminded me of the Big Monday game two years ago against OU. We had to finally bear down, put pressure on them and knock down some shots."
TEXAS HEAD COACH GAIL GOESTENKORS
Opening statement...
"Congratulations to A&M. I thought we played them pretty well for a good bit of the game and then they really intensified their pressure in the second half and got a few steals and layups. It was a feeding frenzy all of a sudden. We lost our poise, turned the ball over and gave them some baskets. It was a battle. I think they gained confidence when we turned the ball over in that stretch.
"Obviously they hurt us on the offensive glass. We didn't keep them off the glass and Danielle Adams ... we had no answer for her. On the inside, the outside, she pretty much did was she wanted to do."
