No. 16 Women Roll Past Prairie View 88-30

Tuesday, December 29

College Station

2:00 PM

Texas A&M

10-3

Prairie View A&M

4-5

Prairie View A&M

Texas A&M

Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics

Dec 29, 2015 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

COLLEGE STATION- No. 16 Texas A&M rolled past Prairie View A&M 88-30 in a women's basketball game at Reed Arena on Tuesday. Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with a career-high 22 points.

The Aggies (10-3) sprinted out to an 18-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, and led 25-4 just over a minute into the second quarter. The Aggies led 39-10 at halftime, and never trailed Prairie View (4-5) during the game.

The 88 points tied a season-high for A&M, and the 30 points were a season-low for an A&M opponent. A&M's 58-point margin of victory is tied for the seventh-largest in school history and is the fourth largest in the Gary Blair Era (since 2003-04).

Hillsman scored 20+ points for the first time in her career, dropping in 22 off of 10-of-13 shooting. She had as many points as the entire Prairie View team as late as 5:04 of the third quarter, and added seven rebounds.

Anriel Howard had career-highs of 14 points and nine rebounds, making her A&M's leading rebounder. Courtney Williams had 12 and Courtney Walker had 11, tying her with Lisa Langston (1982-86) for fourth all-time on A&M's career scoring list.

The Aggies return to action on Sunday, January 3 at 4 p.m. to host Georgia in the SEC opener at Reed Arena. The game is televised on SEC Network.

NOTES

The 88 points A&M scored match a season-high, and the 30 points allowed by A&M match a season-low for an A&M opponent
The Aggies are 6-1 at home this season and have won 23 of their last 25 home games. The Aggies are 195-71 all-time at Reed Arena and 35-4 since the start of the 2013-14 season.
A&M scored 80+ points for the sixth time this season but for the first time since Dec. 4
Khaalia Hillsman had her first career 20+ point game, scoring a career-high 22
- She scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and the ninth time in her career.
- She had as many (or more) points as Prairie View as late as 5:00 of the third quarter
Rachel Mitchell moved into a tie for 10^th with Damitria Buchanan (2006-10) for 10^th on A&M's career blocks list with 86. Mitchell had two blocks today.
Courtney Walker moved into a tie for fourth with Lisa Langston (1982-86) on A&M's career scoring list with 1,615 career points
- She scored in double figures for the fifth straight game, 12^th time this season, and 85^th time in her career
Anriel Howard had a career-high 14 points
- She scored in double figures for the second time in her career
Courtney Williams scored in double figures for the 10^th time this season and the 66^th time in her career
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 705-285 in his career and 297-122 in 13 seasons at Texas A&M. He ranks 15^th all-time in career wins among Division I coaches and eighth among active Division I coaches
The Aggies return to action on January 3 at 4 p.m. to host Georgia inside Reed Arena in a game televised by SEC Network

QUOTES

Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening statement…
I thought it was a very unselfish game, particularly for Courtney Williams. She was distributing the ball, she wasn't worried about how many points she scored but when she turned it on … She only had 2 at half, came on and hit a couple 3-pointers, and played well

We're going to take the game, I'm sure Prairie View has played a lot better games besides tonight but our defense was pretty good.

Our schedule has paid off. Before the season started, I was hoping to be 10-3 but as the season went on I thought we could have been 12-1 which we should've been and could've been but we didn't get it done.

Texas A&M forward Anriel Howard
On the team's performance…
It's certain things we know we have to do, even though we know we come in knowing we're supposed to beat the team, there's certain things we know we have to execute as well. We have goals and I believe we met those goals, exceeded those goals, both on defense and offense.

Texas A&M center Khaalia Hillsman
On her career-high in points…
It was the passes to be perfectly honest. I wasn't doing anything by myself. I wasn't catching any terrible passes and making a great move. It was just great passes from people willing to share the ball and I think (Courtney Williams) and everybody who came passing the ball, they threw some really good passes so I give it up to them because anybody could make the shots that I made.

On getting started with conference play…
I'm excited. There's no more winning by 50, there's no more of that because everybody in our league is good. You have to prepare for everybody. Even teams from last year, the ones that we blew out, they're better this year. It's exciting to know you're in the best conference in the nation and every game is going to be a big one.