WBB: Ags take care of the Sugar Bears

I usually try to take an extra long lunch break when we play the Elementary School Day game so I can watch it at Reed. The screaming kids atmosphere is fun to experience even if the fans aren’t very sophisticated (They cheered when N’dea Jones was called for traveling on the opening possession). But I had conflicts today so I caught a little on the radio, and a little bit streaming on the SECN+ feed from my desk.

A&M built the expected large early lead and played the bench. Taylor Sells hit a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to end the first half.

Halftime score 47-21

The Ags played pretty badly in the third quarter. It was hard to maintain focus with the big lead but the D went to sleep in the third quarter with the starters in. The shooting also was terrible. Central Arkansas outscored the Ags in the third 16-8.

A&M reasserted itself in the final quarter. Blair pulled Carter with 12 points and about 3 minutes left.

Final score 76-46.

• 3 starters were in double figures led by Kayla Wells with 19. Ciera Johnson had 15 and Carter had 12 points and 9 assists.
• Cheah Rael-Whitsitt had 14 rebounds. N’dea Jones had 8 in only 14 minutes of playing time.
• Savanna Walker led UCA with 13 points while Taylor Sells had 10.

It was a 30 point win, but the lackluster third quarter will give the coaches things to work on. After the FSU loss, Coach Blair talked about playing two good quarters while the Noles played all four. I guess we only made it to three vs UCA.

Up Next

• Oklahoma State Cowgirls
• Big XII/SEC Challenge
• Sat Dec 7, 2019, 7PM CST
• Reed Arena
• Streaming: SECN+ Radio 1150AM

The 6-2 Cowgirls will be off since beating UT-Arlington in the Paradise Jam. It’s hard to tell how good OK State is. Their 6 wins have been mostly cupcake games, while their losses have been to top 10 teams in the Paradise Jam (Oregon and Louisville). Their best win is a demolition of Rice in Stillwater. But Rice has had a tougher start than expected and 6-9 Nancy Mulkey didn’t play the 4th quarter or in either of their games after that. But OK State already had a big lead when she left the game. OK State forced 28 Rice turnovers and converted them into 25 points.

They were picked to finish sixth in the Big XII (base 8). Likely starters:

• #12 6-1 Jr F Vivian Gray is averaging 18.8 ppg
• #04 6-4 Jr F Natasha Mack is averaging a double double. She is the leading rebounder at 11.5 per game and scores 15.1 ppg. She leads the team in blocks with 20 in 8 games.
• #20 6-3 Fr G Sara Rodrigues has moved into the starting lineup after the start of the season. She averages 3.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg.
• #23 5-9 Fr G Lauren Fields. averages 6.6 ppg.
• #21 5-5 RS So Tr G Ja’Mee Asberry averages 8 ppg and leads the team in assists

#01 6-3 So C Kassidy De Lapp and #25 6-1 Jr F Abbie Winchester are getting significant minutes and have each started at least 1 game. If nothing else, OK State has much better size than some of our opponents like Central Arkansas or Prairie View.

The game is part of the women’s Big XII/SEC Challenge. Because of the disparity in the number of teams in the conferences, everyone in the B12 plays while SEC teams rotate out from year to year.

2019 Big 12/SEC Women’s Basketball Challenge Schedule

Wednesday, December 4

• Georgia at Baylor
• Ole Miss at Texas Tech

Thursday, December 5

• Iowa State at Alabama

Saturday, December 7

• LSU at Oklahoma
• Auburn at TCU
• Kansas State at Arkansas
• Oklahoma State at Texas A&M

Sunday, December 8

• West Virginia at Mississippi State
• Florida at Kansas
• Texas at Tennessee

Sitting out this year are for the SEC: #6 S. Carolina, #15 Kentucky. Mizzou, and Vanderbilt.