Texas A&M
19-6, 7-4SEC
Arkansas
14-9, 4-7SEC
No. 15 Women's Basketball Tops Arkansas, 59-55
Feb 12, 2015 | Women's Basketball
No. 15 Texas A&M captured its 15th straight home win with a 59-55 victory over Arkansas in a women's basketball game at Reed Arena Thursday night.
Arkansas (14-9, 4-7 SEC) trailed by two points with 28 seconds to play, but Chelsea Jennings came up with a steal with just five seconds to play, then made two free throws, to seal the victory for the Aggies.
The Aggies (19-6, 7-4 SEC) used a 6-0 run of the last 2:44 of the first half to take a 30-23 lead into the break, leading at intermission for the third straight game. Texas A&M led by as many as 10 in the second half, but Arkansas closed the deficit to a single point with 2:03 to play. The Aggies never trailed in the second half.
Curtyce Knox had eight points, five assists and four rebounds in her first start of the season, playing 39 minutes. Courtney Williams was the Aggies' leading scorer, with 15 points, joined in double figures by Courtney Walker with 14.
A&M has now won 15 straight home games, and 27 of their last 29 at home. Since February 2005, the Aggies are 113-3 against unranked teams at home.
Texas A&M returns to the Reed Arena floor on Monday, February 16 at 6 p.m. to host Alabama in a game televised by SEC Network.
Quotes
Arkansas head coach Jimmy Dykes
On the game …
“I was extremely disappointed we lost, we didn't come in here and play close. We came in here to win it; we thought we were good enough tonight to win it. It just didn't go our way again and again. They are a very physical ball club, as big as Texas A&M is, we still tied them on the board forty to forty I think that is a show of strength and toughness on our ball team hanging in there. We only had eight available players tonight. So I had to play guys thirty-nine, forty, thirty-seven minutes. Against the pressure defense of A&M, they never could break us. I was very proud of a lot of things we did. It was just a hard fought ball game. I like the fact that we didn't shoot as many threes in the second half and we shot too many in the first half. Lets go back and look at this game there is going to be five or six key possessions that either didn't go our way or A&M made them go their way. That is the difference of the ball game and that was all it is. We still have a lot left to play for. We are four and seven in the SEC, we have good wins fourteen and nine. We are no longer an Arkansas team that feels good about ourselves if we just play well and play close. We are very disappointed that we lost tonight; we thought we were good enough to win the game.
On 3-pointers…
We missed wide-open threes; it wasn't about what A&M was doing defensively. The threes we had we just missed them. We are not a good three-point shooting ball club. We had to get back to doing what we do and get the ball inside which we did. This game Arkansas mad e twenty, two point shots and A&M made twenty one so we were right there with them, in the power part of the floor. We just probably took a few to many in the first half. Texas A&M is a good team, solid team; they stay in the gaps and force you to work for your points. We did the same thing tonight our defense held them forty percent and their defense held us at thirty eight percent as results as a 55-59 game.
On why you match up so closely with Texas A&M …
I think we are kind of built the same, both built on defense and taking good shots. We don't do crazy stuff. Gary coaches a lot like I do; we are not a high gamble team on either end of the floor. He takes a big premium in making twos, he only took one three tonight. Defensively they are just solid and sound. They try to pressure you a little bit but we don't press a lick. I only had eight players tonight we are not going to press anybody. All our defense was in the quarter court, his extended a little bit trying got wear us down but it never wore us down, that wasn't the issue. I think fundamentally at our court Gary and I are about as close as it gets as any other two coaches in this league in terms of how we believe the game should be played.
Texas A&M guard Courtney Walker
On Positives without Jordan
We have faith in Curtyce, she does her thing everyday in practice and she can get to the ball and the hole on anybody. We know that Jordan does stuff smoother and talks more, but if we just communicate more as a whole, the five that are on the floor to help Curtyce out in the communication part of it to help us. She is athletic, you see her getting rebounds and there are other things she can do to help us be just as good.
Texas A&M guard/forward Courtney Williams
On the speed of the game without Jordan…
“I think it changed the speed of the game. Curtyce can run the team but she probably needs to talk just a little more. I think the game today was kind of slow, and the score was real close so we picked up the intensity during on-ball pressure in the second half and I think it helped us in the back.
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair
On the Game…
What a ball game. We couldn't put it away when we made our run right before the end of the first half. I thought we were in pretty good shape. They've (Arkansas) had problems finishing because of their lack of depth. Arkansas's kids fought so hard. We could only force twelve turnovers and we were pressing trying to wear them down, but our problem was that we wore down because I didn't have the subs. In the second half I thought the best way to guard them was to go small. Rachel and Khaalia played very well in the first half. It hurt us on the defensive boards some but at the same time Chelsea Jennings was doing a tremendous job on Jessica Jackson. She gave up about four inches and was doing as good as she could. The last turnover was hers. Chelsea found a way to get the ball and then she goes to the free throw line and nails two. Give the kid a lot of credit.
How Curtyce handled the game without Jordan…
“You missed Jordan dissected, but Curtyce handled the pressure. It was also very good that they were playing such a sagging man. She didn't have a whole lot of pressure on her. She had a big three in the first half to go along with the circus shot she made. I thought 39 minutes was good. I need to know I have a backup back there and I think we have a pretty good one in Curtyce.”
On play calls…
We had some inside plays called and we decided to shoot the jumpers. We were running some box stuff trying to post up Achiri after she screened, but we could never get the ball into Achiri. We wanted to get the ball inside because we didn't think Jhasmin Bowen could afford to shot block. We just didn't have the right spacing or the right passing game tonight.
On Arkansas…
I really think Arkansas is an NCAA team. They started out with a schedule not in their favor. They went 1-6 but, now they are playing a whole lot better. Coach Dykes has got some very winnable games. He's got to get to at least 7-9. With his great RPI I think he'll make it to the Tournament
Notes
• Texas A&M has won 15 straight home games and 27 of 29 at home, dating back to last season
• Texas A&M is 113-3 against unranked teams at home since Feb. 2005 and has won the last 25 at home against unranked teams
• Texas A&M needs just one more win for their 10th consecutive 20 win season
• After trailing at the half in each of their first eight conference games, the Aggies have led at the half in their last three conference games.
• Courtney Williams scored in double figures for the 15th time this season and 49th time in her career
• Courtney Walker scored in double figures for the seventh straight game, 21st time in 25 games this season, and 69th time in her career.
• Curtyce Knox made her first start of the season and second of her career
• Knox had eight points, five assists, and four rebounds
• Chelsea Jennings' steal with five seconds left sealed the victory for Texas A&M
• Gary Blair is 691-278 in his career and 283-115 at Texas A&M
• Texas A&M is 19-6 on the season and 7-4 in SEC play. Arkansas is 14-9 on the season and 4-7 in SEC play
