
Photo by: Russell James/Texas A&M Athletics
Women's Basketball Tops Prairie View for 10th Win
Dec 28, 2016 | Women's Basketball
COLLEGE STATION- Four Aggies scored in double figures as Texas A&M defeated Prairie View A&M in its final non-conference tune-up, picking up a 90-62 victory in a women's basketball game at Reed Arena. Curtyce Knox led the Aggies with a career-high 15 assists, the fifth-most in a single game in Texas A&M history.
Despite a surge by Prairie View (5-7) in the second quarter, Texas A&M (10-3) built a 43-37 lead by halftime. The Aggies went on a 10-0 run to open the third quarter, and never let the Lady Panthers back into the game.
Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with 22 points, who scored 20+ for the third time in four games. Danni Williams (17), Knox (12) and Anriel Howard (10) joined Hillsman in double figures.
Knox's 15 assists are the most for an Aggie since Jordan Jones had 15 on Jan. 2, 2015, and ties for the fifth-most in a single game at Texas A&M. Knox leads the nation in assists, and has the most assists per game of any player in Division I since 2010-11.
Howard led the Aggies with 12 rebounds, giving her a double-double for the eighth time this season. Knox had her second double-double of the season.
Texas A&M returns to action on Monday, January 2 to host Vanderbilt in the SEC opener for both teams. Tip is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
QUICKIE NOTES
POSTGAME QUOTES
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement…
"What we tried to do, when you are playing smaller teams who only have 6'1 post players, you're trying to work different sets to be able to isolate your five player. I thought we did the whole night. The five shots that [Khaalia Hillsman] missed, I thought that she should have hit every one of them. We will start to see SEC post players. She is going to have to earn them on offensive boards. She still played pretty solid. Our half-court defense was not very good tonight. Prairie View did a good job with their guards. They didn't have the post players to hurt us. We got up on them 27-12 and they made a 16-0 run on us. That's when I started playing other kids and you lose that continuity of flow. Whenever I put the five back in there, they couldn't get back into the flow. You have to give them credit. The shooting percentage of the first four was good. Half-court defense wasn't very good. Our press was nonexistent and our three-point percentage was not very good. We used to take a lot of pride in that, but we will work on that. That's 13 games out the window. Now it is 0-0. Us and Vanderbilt play on Monday. I think it is huge for us. We are playing a first year coach. They have a quality program. We are just going to have to find our way. "
On game play and if team is ready for SEC competition...
"In some areas, yes. In other areas, no. I think the first half led to us having two very mediocre practices the last two days leading up to the game. As usual, I had to get in there and give that halftime speech. The kids responded and we made a few minor adjustments. We started being efficient. We got eleven kids some minutes, and that is what I wanted. Jasmine Williams did some good things for us. [Rakell] Spencer is going to be a player. We only had nine turnovers and pour goal was to be under ten today. We tried not to show too much. We tried to save for Vanderbilt. They are going to go in to stop [Khaalia] Hillsman first. We have to worry about A&M. Sometimes you have to quit worrying about the other team and make sure what you do, you do well. When opening night hits next Monday night, we want to be good. I hope to have a good crowd because it will be a good game. I told my team, sixteen games, at least ten of them will be decided in the last minute of play. That's where we have to execute."
Texas A&M Junior Center Khaalia Hillsman
On strong inside advantage…
"I mean it's always a point of emphasis with me like I try to use my size to my advantage. There aren't too many 6-5, 220 post players out there so I feel like I have an advantage, I just have to be able to utilize it every game whether it be lobs, power or just being able to outrun people when we're playing defense so I feel like I just have to utilize my height in different ways every game. This game was the same as Syracuse with my height and the lobs."
On what changed in second quarter to turn it back in A&M's favor…
"Definitely, our defensive intensity. We came out with some pretty good defense and then we just sort of lost our focus and in our defense showed our loss of focus. We started to not play hard and then that transitioned to offense where we couldn't get any shots because we were frustrated on the opposite end so it was just a lot of us not playing hard and losing focus."
Despite a surge by Prairie View (5-7) in the second quarter, Texas A&M (10-3) built a 43-37 lead by halftime. The Aggies went on a 10-0 run to open the third quarter, and never let the Lady Panthers back into the game.
Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with 22 points, who scored 20+ for the third time in four games. Danni Williams (17), Knox (12) and Anriel Howard (10) joined Hillsman in double figures.
Knox's 15 assists are the most for an Aggie since Jordan Jones had 15 on Jan. 2, 2015, and ties for the fifth-most in a single game at Texas A&M. Knox leads the nation in assists, and has the most assists per game of any player in Division I since 2010-11.
Howard led the Aggies with 12 rebounds, giving her a double-double for the eighth time this season. Knox had her second double-double of the season.
Texas A&M returns to action on Monday, January 2 to host Vanderbilt in the SEC opener for both teams. Tip is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
QUICKIE NOTES
- The Aggies improve to 10-3, while Prairie View A&M falls to 5-7.
- This is the first time since 2010-11 that Texas A&M scored 90+ points in back-to-back games (Dec. 30, 2010 at San Diego St., Jan. 4, 2011 vs. ULM)
- Texas A&M has won 10 non-conference games for the fifth straight season
- The Aggies improve to 6-1 at home this season and are 48-8 at home since the start of the 2013-14 season. Texas A&M is 140-5 against unranked foes at home since February 2005.
- The Aggies had four players score in double figures for the third time in the past four games
- Curtyce Knox, who leads the nation in assists, had a career-high 14 assists
- She had her second career double-double
- She scored 10+ points for the third time this season and the sixth time in her career
- She had 10+ assists for the eighth time this season. Her eight career games of 10+ assists rank third at Texas A&M (since 2000-01)
- Khaalia Hillsman scored 20+ points for the fifth time this season and third time in four games
- She has scored in double figures in all 13 games this season
- Danni Williams scored 10+ points for the 12th time in 13 games this season and the 13th time in her career
- Anriel Howard had her eighth double double of the season
- She had 10+ points for the 10th time this season and 12th time in her career
- She had 10+ rebounds for the 11th time this season and 16th time in her career
- She has 10+ points or 10+ rebounds in all 13 games this season
- Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 319-132 in 14 seasons at Texas A&M and is 727-295 in his Hall of Fame career. Blair is now seventh among active coaches and 13th all-time in career wins, breaking a tie with Little Rock's Joe Foley.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement…
"What we tried to do, when you are playing smaller teams who only have 6'1 post players, you're trying to work different sets to be able to isolate your five player. I thought we did the whole night. The five shots that [Khaalia Hillsman] missed, I thought that she should have hit every one of them. We will start to see SEC post players. She is going to have to earn them on offensive boards. She still played pretty solid. Our half-court defense was not very good tonight. Prairie View did a good job with their guards. They didn't have the post players to hurt us. We got up on them 27-12 and they made a 16-0 run on us. That's when I started playing other kids and you lose that continuity of flow. Whenever I put the five back in there, they couldn't get back into the flow. You have to give them credit. The shooting percentage of the first four was good. Half-court defense wasn't very good. Our press was nonexistent and our three-point percentage was not very good. We used to take a lot of pride in that, but we will work on that. That's 13 games out the window. Now it is 0-0. Us and Vanderbilt play on Monday. I think it is huge for us. We are playing a first year coach. They have a quality program. We are just going to have to find our way. "
On game play and if team is ready for SEC competition...
"In some areas, yes. In other areas, no. I think the first half led to us having two very mediocre practices the last two days leading up to the game. As usual, I had to get in there and give that halftime speech. The kids responded and we made a few minor adjustments. We started being efficient. We got eleven kids some minutes, and that is what I wanted. Jasmine Williams did some good things for us. [Rakell] Spencer is going to be a player. We only had nine turnovers and pour goal was to be under ten today. We tried not to show too much. We tried to save for Vanderbilt. They are going to go in to stop [Khaalia] Hillsman first. We have to worry about A&M. Sometimes you have to quit worrying about the other team and make sure what you do, you do well. When opening night hits next Monday night, we want to be good. I hope to have a good crowd because it will be a good game. I told my team, sixteen games, at least ten of them will be decided in the last minute of play. That's where we have to execute."
Texas A&M Junior Center Khaalia Hillsman
On strong inside advantage…
"I mean it's always a point of emphasis with me like I try to use my size to my advantage. There aren't too many 6-5, 220 post players out there so I feel like I have an advantage, I just have to be able to utilize it every game whether it be lobs, power or just being able to outrun people when we're playing defense so I feel like I just have to utilize my height in different ways every game. This game was the same as Syracuse with my height and the lobs."
On what changed in second quarter to turn it back in A&M's favor…
"Definitely, our defensive intensity. We came out with some pretty good defense and then we just sort of lost our focus and in our defense showed our loss of focus. We started to not play hard and then that transitioned to offense where we couldn't get any shots because we were frustrated on the opposite end so it was just a lot of us not playing hard and losing focus."
Team Stats
PV
TAMU
FG%
.349
.523
3FG%
.400
.286
FT%
.667
.690
RB
32
48
TO
14
9
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
SEC Tipoff Press Conference: Joni Taylor
Wednesday, October 15
SEC Network Interview: Joni Taylor, Fats Janneh, Lauren Ware at SEC Tipoff
Wednesday, October 15
Media Availability: Joni Taylor
Wednesday, September 24
Media Availability: Fatmata Janneh, Lauren Ware
Wednesday, September 24