Aggies Fall to Georgia in Overtime, 92-84

Sunday, January 14

College Station

2 p.m.

Texas A&M

14-5, 3-2SEC

Georgia

16-2, 4-1SEC

OT 1

Georgia

Texas A&M

Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics

Jan 14, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Georgia 92, A&M 84 (OT) - Final Stats (PDF)Highlights Photos

COLLEGE STATION- Chennedy Carter scored 31 points, as No. 17 Texas A&M rallied back from a 13-point deficit to force an overtime, but ultimately fell 92-84 to Georgia in a women's basketball game at Reed Arena Sunday.

The Lady Bulldogs (16-2, 4-1 SEC) jumped out to a 22-9 lead early in the second quarter, but the Aggies (14-5, 3-2 SEC) clawed back into the game, taking a 54-52 lead after three quarters.

Carter, whose 31 points rank third on the Texas A&M freshman single-game scoring list, sent the game to overtime by banking in a 3-pointer with 12.4 seconds to play. Carter broke the Texas A&M freshman season scoring record in the game, and posted her fourth 30+ point scoring game of the season.

Anriel Howard and Khaalia Hillsman each posted double-doubles in the game. Howard had 14 points and 15 rebounds; Hillsman added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Jasmine Lumpkin added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Texas A&M returns to action on Thursday, January 18 at Alabama, with the broadcast on SEC Network +. The Aggies return to Reed Arena on Monday, January 22 at 6 p.m. to host LSU on SEC Network.

RADIO SHOW MONDAY
The Gary Blair Radio Show broadcasts Monday, January 15, at Rudy's on Harvey Road from 6-7 p.m. The show, hosted by Steve Miller, is broadcast locally on WTAW (1620 AM) and online at 12thMan.com. Fans are invited to come out to join the show as they talk all things Texas A&M women's basketball.

TEXAS A&M
• The Aggies fall to 14-5 on the season and 3-2 in SEC play. Georgia is now 16-2 and 4-1 in SEC play
• Texas A&M is 10-3 in Reed Arena this season, and now 154-6 against unranked teams at home since February 2005
• The loss breaks a 15-game winning streak against unranked teams, that dated back to the 2016-17 season
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 345-146 in 15 seasons at Texas A&M and 753-309 in his Hall of Fame career, which ranks eighth among active coaches
• Texas A&M is 1-1 in overtime this season and are 7-3 in their last ten overtime games
• The Aggies are 5-3 in overtime SEC games
• This is Texas A&M's first back-to-back overtime games since Jan. 25-29, 1992, where the Aggies lost at Rice 85-83 and at Houston 79-78

Chennedy Carter
• Broke the Texas A&M freshman season scoring record, and is now up to 406 points on the season. Takia Starks previously held the record with 382 in the 2005-06 season.
• Her 31 points rank third on the Texas A&M single-game freshman scoring list, only behind her own 46 point performance at Southern California and her 36 point performance at South Carolina.
• Had her fourth career 30+ point scoring game • Scored 20+ points for the third straight game and 10th time in 19 games this season
• Scored in double figures for the 19th straight game, the only Texas A&M player to scored 10+ points in the first 19 games of her career.

Anriel Howard
• Had her 10th double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career, which extends her own Texas A&M career record
• Passes Cindy Gough (1975-79, 795 rebounds) for fifth on Texas A&M's career rebound list with 806 in her career
• Had 10+ rebounds for the 14th straight game and 18th time in 19 games this season. She has 46 career 10+ rebound games
• Scored 10+ points for the 11th time this season and 31st time in her career Khaalia Hillsman
• Had her sixth double double of the season
• Scored 10+ points for the 15th time this season and 59th time in her career Jasmine Lumpkin
• Scored 10+ points for the fourth time this season and the 11th time in her A&M career

Khaalia Hillsman
• Had her sixth double double of the season
• Scored 10+ points for the 15th time this season and 59th time in her career

Jasmine Lumpkin
• Scored 10+ points for the fourth time this season and the 11th time in her A&M career

Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement…
"I thought we had the game in hand through the third quarter then they made some uncharacteristic turnovers that gave us a little life. In the fourth quarter when they made three shots in a row, I thought that was the turning point when we had the lead and then all of the sudden we went from a seven to eight point game to they were up by two and making shots. (Gabby) Connally had her career game, but the difference was (Caliya) Robinson. We had some very good shots, and then we had some poor shots that we were trying to do it individually and not collectively. Every game that we have this year in conference is going to be very similar to this. We are going to have to fight through it, and we are going to have to have some young players mature on the scene and some older players step up and be the all-conference performers they are."

On Caliya Robinson's defense…
"We ran some sets and sometimes we weren't patient. One time I ran a perfect set when she had their back up post player in there and what did we do? We backed out of the thing. Chennedy (Carter) got down there, and she backed out after a free throw play, so we threw it to Danni (Williams), and we were playing pop a shot in there. What we need to do is find Khaalia. When they rested Robinson, we didnt take advantage of Khaalia inside. When we got Anriel at the high post when they were doubling over her, she knocked down two or three of those shots, and that is what we have to have. Her trouble was scoring when she did a great job on the offensive boards. She is just awfully small, and that is the best defensive player we have played this year. I mean it looked like Robert Williams last year. We were doing a lot of things well, but so was the other team. This is the SEC. We signed up for this."

On if defense was adjusted…
"No. Khaalia was guarding (Mackenzie) Engram. If she is going to play in that league, then she is going to have to guard perimeter, five players even though she is not one of those. She is going to have to guard in our match up zone. You can't protect the paint if your man is out there blowing it up. That is the best that anyone has shot against us this year. Somewhere there is accountability. We work hard on what we are suppose to do, but it is hard to find a five that can shoot like Engram did today."

On Anriel Howard fouling out in overtime…
"By then they already had a six point lead. It was our inability to stop them on the defensive end, and then we were going one and out on this end. We gave up a transition basket and Chennedy missed a shot and didn't hustle back to help Danni on defense, so they got an easy one."

Texas A&M Junior Forward Anriel Howard
On problems from Georgia's defense…
"I think it is more so me. I have been up and down a lot, more so down recently with my shot. Credit to their defense, but I think it was more so me and my head."

On fatigue and second overtime game...
"We just have to fight through any fatigue. I don't really think it was that. There were just sometimes we didn't play as hard as we could've like we know how to. I don't think fatigue was an issue."

Texas A&M Freshman Guard Chennedy Carter
On Georgia's defense…
"I don't think their defense gave me any problems. I just felt like throughout the game I got a little fatigued. My legs got heavy, and I started shooting the ball a little short, so those are things that I have to work on. I need to get in the gym and start elevating more when I am tired and feel like I am running out of gas."

On Gabby Connally matchup…
"It's great. I don't really pay attention to matchups when I am out there. I am out there competing with my team. We are looking at gaps. We don't look at players trying to be players. I look at using my team and working together and trying to get everybody involved. We're not focused on any matchups, especially between two point guards. I think I have played her a couple of times in AAU ball. She's a great player though."

On her three-pointer to force overtime and their overtime play...
"It's just one of those nights that things don't always go the way you expected. We have to learn how to do things a little bit differently especially in overtime. That was our second overtime game, so we have to learn how to pull away I would say instead of just waiting and running out of time. We just ran out of time tonight. Any shot I shoot I think is going to go in. I am a confident player. Going into overtime sometimes it just doesn't fall. I can't be down on myself when I am open. I am going to shoot the ball and do what I can to help my team win. I tried tonight, and sometimes it doesn't fall. We are all going to get better, and we are going to be ready for Alabama on Thursday."

Georgia Head Coach Joni Taylor
On the third quarter…
"We just started throwing the ball away. We got out of sorts there for a while. We turned it over two or three times. We didn't do what we were doing before, so we just settled down offensively. That was the problem for us I think. They are a really good offensive rebounding team with (Khaalia) Hillsman and (Anriel) Howard, so we knew they were going to get some boards. I think the bigger issue was us and our turnovers in the third quarter."

On Gabby Connally…
"She is a heck of a player. She lives for these moments, and she is so hardworking. We want the ball in her hands down the stretch because she can shoot it, she can drive you, she is going to make free throws, and she is unselfish. I'm just happy for her to be able to come back home and play like this in front of her family."

On their defense…
"We pride ourselves on being a great defensive team. Danni (Williams) is really, really good. (Khaalia) Hillsman is really, really good, so we just tried to crowd them as much as we could. We sent two people at Hillsman, and then we just always wanted to have a hand in Danni's face whenever we could. She also missed some shots that she normally doesn't miss, so I'm not going to take all of the responsibility for that. She missed some open threes that normally go down for her. The key there is trying to make it difficult for her early, and I think we have been able to do that the last two years."

Georgia Freshman Guard Gabby Connally
On playing in her home state…
"I think it is great to have my family come down. They have been to a few games so far, and I had a couple friends come down from San Antonio, also family I don't get to see as much. I don't really take that too much into consideration, but I'm just glad that they are here and they got to see me play. They come to support no matter how I do, and I just happened to have a pretty decent game."

On her three-point shooting…
"Coach Joni is always telling me to be more aggressive. When I come in off the bench I am just hoping to be a spark, make sure there is no drop off, and keep the energy up. Today, I had a few open looks, so I decided to take them. I was hot, so I just kept shooting. My teammates were telling me to let it fly, so that's what I did."