COLLEGE STATION- All five Texas A&M starters scored in double figures, as the Aggies picked up their sixth straight home win, defeating Florida 84-76 in a women's basketball game at Reed Arena.
The Aggies (16-6, 6-3 SEC) did not trail in any of the last three quarters, leading by as many as 14 points in the second half. Florida (11-11, 2-7 SEC) closed the deficit to four points with 1:38 to play, but Texas A&M would score the next six points to put the game out of reach.
Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with 24 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, a Texas A&M record for an SEC game. It was Hillsman's 10th double-double of the season
Taylor Cooper scored a Texas A&M career-high 16 points, including a four three pointers, adding in four assists. Danni Williams added 16 points as well.
Curtyce Knox and Anriel Howard both posted double-double. Knox had 10 points and 13 assists, and Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Texas A&M wore their Stone Gray uniforms for the first time this season, marking the Aggies' first appearance in gray since 2007-08.
The Aggies return to action on Sunday, February 5 at 1 p.m. to host Auburn on SEC Network, marking the second of a three-game homestand.
QUICKIE NOTES
POSTGAME QUOTES
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler
Opening Statement…
"A&M is really good. The thing that makes them a special team is they do a really good job of playing to their strengths and they don't deviate from that. We are too and we don't deviate from that but we did tonight. We got outside of our individual job descriptions. They did a better job of sticking to their plan. We are a great rebounding team and tonight we did not bring great rebounding efforts nor boxing out efforts."
Better job in offensive rebounds…
"Where they positioned [Khaalia] Hillsman on the floor was very strategic and very smart. Pushing [Curtyce] Knox over to the left and letting her attack, we did not do a good job of keeping her in front of us. We didn't do a good job once we had those breakdowns in our front line it caused rotation. Wherever the shot came from we were out of position for box outs. I think when you are a great rebounding team it has a whole lot to do with desire and not as much to do with technique. When you're going against someone that your giving up three or four inches you have to dig down a little deeper and we didn't do that."
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement…
"Taylor Cooper had an outstanding ball game. We knew they were going to play zone, which is why I wanted to start her to give me one more shooter. It really helped us because Jasmine [Lumpkin] hit both of hers but Danni [Williams] wasn't shooting well so we had to have another shooter in there and she did a good job. We were able to hit Khaalia [Hillsman] a number of times like we did before because we thought we had the mismatch. You have to give her a lot of credit, we are working with her and she is getting better and better. I though [Anriel] Howard did a good job for us inside today. The start of the third quarter was the most important time of the entire ball game."
Texas A&M Center Khaalia Hillsman
On the offensive rebounding…
"I think three or four of those came from my first initial misses, as you can see I did not have my best offensive night. My other rebounds I was just trying to move from the box, they were trying really hard to push me out of the paint. I tried to meet them before they had an opportunity to meet me so I think I just put up a greater effort on the boards."
Getting this 3 game homestead started with a win…
"Its definitely huge, Florida is playing extremely well. They came out and beat Vandy at home, and we had a tough time beating them here. The Florida we played last time is not the same Florida we played today. They are playing way more aggressive and hitting the boards. Ronni is having a phenomenal game, she had 43 points so we had to come out and stop her."
About all 5 starters in double digit scoring…
I think its huge, everyone stepped up today. We can't have one or two people scoring all the points and I think it's important that everyone stepped up today. We kept playing through it and playing through it. I think everyone on the team has been really working on their offense and that really transferred over to the game today"
Texas A&M Forward Taylor Cooper
About the success against Florida's zone defense…
I think the key was knocking down the outside shots to get Khaalia open. Once she is open we just feed her until she runs out of gas. She is always getting double teamed and triple teamed, it is important for us to open her up and make it easier for her.
About starting off this three-game homestead with a win…
This was the biggest game for us of the year. We knew we would get their best effort. We played really well as a team tonight, all around with offense, defense and rebounding. We played together and worked really well together as a team. I think this kick starts out the homestead. We've got Auburn coming up next and they press a whole 40 minutes and Alabama after that so we just have to worry about the next games and take care of business.
About her game tonight...
I work hard and try to do the best that I can. For me, my job is not to score every night, its to do whatever the team needs. Whether its rebounding, playing defense or getting the ball to Khaalia or Danni and tonight it happened to be knocking out outside shots, so that's what I do.
The Aggies (16-6, 6-3 SEC) did not trail in any of the last three quarters, leading by as many as 14 points in the second half. Florida (11-11, 2-7 SEC) closed the deficit to four points with 1:38 to play, but Texas A&M would score the next six points to put the game out of reach.
Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with 24 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, a Texas A&M record for an SEC game. It was Hillsman's 10th double-double of the season
Taylor Cooper scored a Texas A&M career-high 16 points, including a four three pointers, adding in four assists. Danni Williams added 16 points as well.
Curtyce Knox and Anriel Howard both posted double-double. Knox had 10 points and 13 assists, and Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Texas A&M wore their Stone Gray uniforms for the first time this season, marking the Aggies' first appearance in gray since 2007-08.
The Aggies return to action on Sunday, February 5 at 1 p.m. to host Auburn on SEC Network, marking the second of a three-game homestand.
QUICKIE NOTES
- Texas A&M improves to 16-6 on the season and 6-3 in SEC play. Florida falls to 11-11 and 2-7 in SEC play.
- The Aggies have won six straight home games, improving to 10-1 at home this season and 144-5 against unranked teams at home since February 2005.
- The Aggies are 33-1 all-time when leading after three quarters
- This is the second time this season three Aggies posted double-doubles (also: Dec. 17 vs. Southern)
- Five Aggies scored in double figures for the second time in SEC play (also: Jan. 2 vs. Vanderbilt)
- Khaalia Hillsman's 18 rebounds are the most for a Texas A&M player in an SEC game
- Khaalia Hillsman had her 10th double-double of the season and the 12th of her career, scoring 20+ points for the seventh time this season and posting a career-high 18 rebounds
- She has scored in double figures in all 22 games this season
- She had 10+ rebounds for the 10th time this season and 17th time in her career
- Curtyce Knox had her third double-double of the season
- Knox scored 10+ points for the 11th time this season and the eighth time in nine SEC games
- Knox had 10+ assists for the 10th time this season, but only the second time during SEC play.
- Her 10 double-digit assist games rank third in a career at Texas A&M
- Knox moved past Lisa Branch's 1994-95 season (201 assists) into fifth place on Texas A&M's single-season assist list. Knox has 210 assists this season.
- Knox moved into ninth on Texas A&M's career assist list, passing Sydney Carter (2008-12, 388) and Von Bunn (1976-79, 388). Knox has 391 career assists.
- Anriel Howard had her 11th double-double of the season
- She scored in double figures for the 13th time this season.
- She had 10+ rebounds for the 16th time this season.
- Danni Williams scored in double figures for the 12th consecutive game and the 21st time in 22 games this season
- Taylor Cooper had a Texas A&M career-high 16 points and made a career-high four 3-pointers
- She scored in double figures for the fourth time this season
- Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 733-198 in his Hall of Fame career
- Gary Blair has 105 SEC wins, the most of any active coach.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Florida Head Coach Amanda Butler
Opening Statement…
"A&M is really good. The thing that makes them a special team is they do a really good job of playing to their strengths and they don't deviate from that. We are too and we don't deviate from that but we did tonight. We got outside of our individual job descriptions. They did a better job of sticking to their plan. We are a great rebounding team and tonight we did not bring great rebounding efforts nor boxing out efforts."
Better job in offensive rebounds…
"Where they positioned [Khaalia] Hillsman on the floor was very strategic and very smart. Pushing [Curtyce] Knox over to the left and letting her attack, we did not do a good job of keeping her in front of us. We didn't do a good job once we had those breakdowns in our front line it caused rotation. Wherever the shot came from we were out of position for box outs. I think when you are a great rebounding team it has a whole lot to do with desire and not as much to do with technique. When you're going against someone that your giving up three or four inches you have to dig down a little deeper and we didn't do that."
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement…
"Taylor Cooper had an outstanding ball game. We knew they were going to play zone, which is why I wanted to start her to give me one more shooter. It really helped us because Jasmine [Lumpkin] hit both of hers but Danni [Williams] wasn't shooting well so we had to have another shooter in there and she did a good job. We were able to hit Khaalia [Hillsman] a number of times like we did before because we thought we had the mismatch. You have to give her a lot of credit, we are working with her and she is getting better and better. I though [Anriel] Howard did a good job for us inside today. The start of the third quarter was the most important time of the entire ball game."
Texas A&M Center Khaalia Hillsman
On the offensive rebounding…
"I think three or four of those came from my first initial misses, as you can see I did not have my best offensive night. My other rebounds I was just trying to move from the box, they were trying really hard to push me out of the paint. I tried to meet them before they had an opportunity to meet me so I think I just put up a greater effort on the boards."
Getting this 3 game homestead started with a win…
"Its definitely huge, Florida is playing extremely well. They came out and beat Vandy at home, and we had a tough time beating them here. The Florida we played last time is not the same Florida we played today. They are playing way more aggressive and hitting the boards. Ronni is having a phenomenal game, she had 43 points so we had to come out and stop her."
About all 5 starters in double digit scoring…
I think its huge, everyone stepped up today. We can't have one or two people scoring all the points and I think it's important that everyone stepped up today. We kept playing through it and playing through it. I think everyone on the team has been really working on their offense and that really transferred over to the game today"
Texas A&M Forward Taylor Cooper
About the success against Florida's zone defense…
I think the key was knocking down the outside shots to get Khaalia open. Once she is open we just feed her until she runs out of gas. She is always getting double teamed and triple teamed, it is important for us to open her up and make it easier for her.
About starting off this three-game homestead with a win…
This was the biggest game for us of the year. We knew we would get their best effort. We played really well as a team tonight, all around with offense, defense and rebounding. We played together and worked really well together as a team. I think this kick starts out the homestead. We've got Auburn coming up next and they press a whole 40 minutes and Alabama after that so we just have to worry about the next games and take care of business.
About her game tonight...
I work hard and try to do the best that I can. For me, my job is not to score every night, its to do whatever the team needs. Whether its rebounding, playing defense or getting the ball to Khaalia or Danni and tonight it happened to be knocking out outside shots, so that's what I do.