Heroics from Chennedy Carter lift No. 11 Aggies past TCU, 70-68
The No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies narrowly beat the TCU Horned Frogs 70-68 on Wednesday, December 11, handing TCU their first loss of the season. Chennedy Carter led the Aggies with 25 points and six assists, including a game-winning floater with three seconds left in the game.
Texas A&M started the game scoring the first six points. The Aggies and Horned Frogs traded baskets throughout the first quarter, resulting in a 19-12 lead for the Aggies at the end of the quarter. N’dea Jones highlighted the quarter with six points off of three offensive rebound put-backs.
“She’s starting to get a little tough, and I like it,” junior guard Chennedy Carter said. “Before the game, I literally tell her, ‘N’dea, get me 50 rebounds this game.’”
TCU came out stronger in the second quarter, ending their 11-5 run at the 5:56 mark. Texas A&M and TCU continued to go back and forth, finishing the half tied at 34-34. Coach Blair noted the Aggies’ underwhelming transition efforts in the second quarter as a point of improvement.
“We quit running the basketball and being effective,” head coach Gary Blair said. “That’s our strength, particularly at home.”
Both teams started the second half with lackluster offensive performances, going scoreless until the 7:20 mark of the third quarter. TCU scored the first basket of the half and held the lead for most of the third quarter. The score at the end of the period was 50-48 in TCU’s favor.
TCU’s lead grew to begin the fourth quarter, but the game never eclipsed a five-point differential. Texas A&M and TCU kept trading punches until the final minutes when Chennedy Carter scored the Aggies’ last seven points of the game.
“That’s what Chennedy Carter does the best,” Blair said. “She wants the ball in crucial situations.”
Down 66-63, Carter drilled her first three-pointer of the game. With the game tied at 66-66, Carter drove to the paint for an easy layup, giving the Aggies their first lead since the 7:41 mark of the fourth quarter. After TCU tied the game at 68-68, Carter came out of the team’s timeout scoring another layup with three seconds left on the clock. The Aggies would not let TCU attempt their final shot, and the buzzer blared with a final score of 70-68.
“We don’t give up,” senior guard Shambria Washington said. “We fight with each other and for each other, and that’s what matters. When the odds are stacked against us, we keep pushing.”
This win pushes Hall-of-Fame coach Gary Blair’s career win total to just one shy of the 800-win mark. Although that number might be a big milestone to some players and coaches, the team was mostly unaware of Blair’s upcoming feat.
“We really didn’t know until today,” Washington said. “We focus on one game at a time, but it’s really a blessing to be a part of that.”
Texas A&M will look to improve its win streak to four games on Sunday, December 15 at 1:00 p.m. against the Houston Cougars.
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