Texas A&M
16-7, 6-4SEC
Tennessee
14-9, 5-5SEC
No. 12 Women Beat No. 23 Tennessee 76-71 In OT Thriller
Feb 07, 2016 | Women's Basketball
COLLEGE STATION- Anriel Howard hit a game-tying jumper with 5.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter to cap a 13-point comeback and send the game into overtime, where No. 12 Texas A&M defeated No. 23 Tennessee 76-71 in a women's basketball game at Reed Arena.
Courtney Walker, who scored a game-high 29 points, led the Aggies' (16-7, 6-4 SEC) charge in overtime, scoring 10 of A&M's 15 OT points.
The Aggies trailed by 13 points with 9:39 to play and by 11 with under three to play. Two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Jordan Jones, who had 11 points, took a hard charge with 24 seconds to go to force a Tennessee (14-9, 5-5 SEC) turnover, and set up A&M's game-tying play. Jones would leave the game and not return.
Howard finished the game with 9 points, including the game-tying points, and 11 rebounds. Khaalia Hillsman scored 14 for A&M.
Walker scored 20+ points for the third straight game and seventh time in conference play. She has scored 25 of A&M's 40 points in overtime this year, helping the Aggies to a 3-0 record in OT.
Jordan Reynolds led Tennessee with 16.
The Aggies return to action on Thursday, February 11 to host No. 11 Mississippi State at 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
QUICKIE NOTES
- Texas A&M improves to 16-7 on the season and 6-4 in SEC play. Tennessee falls to 14-9 and 5-5 in SEC play.
- A&M is 3-0 in overtime games this season
- Texas A&M is 5-5 against ranked teams this season. The 10 games against ranked teams this season mark the most for a regular season since 2009-10.
- The Aggies came back from a 13-point deficit, marking the fifth 9+ point deficit the Aggies have overcome to win this season.
- A&M has played six straight games that have been decided in the last minute of regulation or overtime
- The Aggies are 10-2 at home this season and 39-5 since the start of the 2013-14 season. A&M is 199-72 all-time at Reed Arena.
- Courtney Walker scored 20+ points for the third straight game, seventh time in conference play, 11th time this season, and school-record 31st time in her career
- Walker has scored 25 of A&M's 40 OT points this season
- She scored in double figures for the 15th straight game, 22nd time in 23 games this season, and 96th time in her career, which ranks second at Texas A&M
- She has scored at least 12 points in all six career games she has played against Tennessee
- Walker has scored at least 14 points in every SEC game this season
- She tied A'Quonesia Franklin (2004-08) for second on Texas A&M's career games started list with 127 games started. Walker has started every game of her career so far.
- Khaalia Hillsman scored in double figures for the second straight game, seventh time this season and 12th time in her career
- Anriel Howard had the second 10+ rebound game of her career
- Jordan Jones scored in double figures for the fifth time in six games, 10th time this season and 31st time in her career.
- Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 711-289 in his career and 303-126 in 13 seasons at Texas A&M. Among Division I coaches, he is 13th all-time and eighth among active coaches in career wins
POSTGAME QUOTES
Tennessee Head Coach Holly Warlick
Opening statement…
"Great game tonight. Texas A&M finished it out. We couldn't hold on. They did some great things down the stretch, and we didn't."
On Tennessee's defense…
"We put them at the free throw line. They had a lot of and-one plays, and we didn't box out. We gave up 24 offensive rebounds. We knew going in that was one of the leys for us: keep them off the boards. They had a lot of second chance points. We couldn't finish the deal."
On Tennessee's offensive possessions in the 4th…
"I think we wanted to work on getting a good look. Maybe that tightened us up. I felt good about the game. But it's like I said, we couldn't finish the deal."
Tennessee Player Andraya Carter
A&M's performance in the 4th…
"Hats off to them. They just brought it in the fourth quarter. They played for their point guard who sacrificed her body. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her. [Jordan Jones'] team had her back in the 4th quarter as they should have. She's a great player. A lot of respect for her and the way that the team played tonight. "
On their offensive rebounds…
"Their momentum was building, building and building. It was like the perfect score. We couldn't hold on."
Tennessee Player Jordan Reynolds
On thoughts from tonight's game…
"I think we got complacent with the lead. We had them up, and we thought the game was over."
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening statement…
"Offensive boards kept us in the game which kept us in the game while we were shooting like we were shooting. The shots we were missing were going in then coming. I told them don't give up on them, just keep fighting and find a way. This is our court. Just make it fast and ugly. When we finally made it five, I knew we had a chance."
On Jordan Jones' performance…
"She's taken 31 charges all year. That's our defense. That's why she's a two-time defensive player of the year. If anybody is any better than her, I'd like to see it."
On Texas A&M's performance tonight…
"You saw a good ball game. I appreciate the people that were here. For those that left, I hope they got to their car, turned around, and came back in to see one of the greatest comebacks we've ever had."
On Anriel Howard's shooting and rebounding…
"God bless her. She's a rebounding machine. She's not afraid of anything. That's what makes her so special."
Texas A&M senior Courtney Walker
On winning the game for Jordan Jones…
"She was the one that helped us get our energy going again when we were kind of dead. We started our run and she took the charge, getting us the ball back. We couldn't go tell her later tonight that we lost, we had to make sure and tell her that we finished it for her."
On winning a close game…
"We were able to at least be composed and execute our plays down the stretch. We might not always hit the shot, or get the calls to go our way but just knowing that we give ourselves a chance down the stretch the last couple of games. It hasn't been off of bad execution or not listening to what our coaches say."
On their recent third quarter performances…
"I don't want to say we've given games away but we've given leeway to a lead or a close game and not been able to catch back up, or found ourselves in those same down the stretch situations. We did the same thing today, we found ourselves kind of dead. We were able to get a little energy going with our press."
Texas A&M freshman Anriel Howard
On winning a close game…
"Going into the fourth quarter we all had to come together and motivate each other. We had to pick up our energy. We wanted to win. We did not want to lose again."
On her shot to send the game to overtime…
"I finally just grabbed it and shot it because I knew that the clock was ticking down. I just thought about Jordan and I was like, 'I have to make it'."
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