Stars of the Game: No. 6 A&M 76, No. 9 Louisville 58

The No. 6 Texas A&M women's basketball team unveiled their national title banner and got their rings, then proceeded to blow out No. 9 Louisville, 76-58 Tuesday at Reed. Here's a breakdown of the Stars of the Game. Click on the player above for complete post-game audio. The quotes and post-game notes are included below.

Stars of the Game

1) Kelsey Bone
Stats: 15 points, 9 rebounds (6 offensive), 0 turnovers, 5-10 FG, 5-8 FT
Scoop: Things started out great for Bone in this one. She opened with two putback layups and and three rebounds in the first 2:28 of the game. But then she quickly picked up two fouls and played just six minutes in the first half. After barely playing in the first ten minutes of the second half, Bone came alive down the stretch ... dominating the glass and getting to the line with ease. Her 15 points scored was a team-high and her nine-rebound effort was tops in the game. She was the only Aggie to make more than one free throw and attempt more than five shots at the stripe. She pulled down a game-best six offensive rebounds, scoring six of her 15 on second-chance opportunities. The most impressive part of Bone's game vs. Louisville was the fact that she did not turn the ball over one time, coming off of a six-turnover performance vs. Lamar in the season opener on Saturday. There are still a lot of things for the supremely talented Houston-area product to work on - she's still a bit rusty after sitting out last season due to transfer rules and she is still working to get into true game shape - but the canvas with which to work is a great one. And Kelsey will be a very, very good player for the maroon and white throughout this season and over the next few years down the road.

1) Adrienne Pratcher
Stats: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 turnovers, 3-8 FG, 1-4 3 PT
Scoop: No, Pratcher did not shoot the ball very well against the Cardinals, but it didn't matter. The former high school valedictorian who came to A&M carrying the nickname "A-Game" certainly gets an "A" in my book for her effort in the first true "spotlight" game of her career. Pratcher did all of the little things well and ran the show at the point guard position, dishing out a game-high eight assists and showing off a little razzle-dazzle from time to time. The key was the turnovers column. A-Game committed just one turnover in the Lamar game and followed that up with just two turnovers against a very good Louisville squad ... a top-ten team nationally. The shots will fall for Pratcher - she's known as a very good shooter - but I thought she managed the game very well and looked extremely comfortable in her second game taking over for superstar point guard Sydney Colson.

1) Sydney Carter
Stats: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 2 blocks, 8 steals, 6-15 FG, 1-6 3PT
Scoop: Best player on the A&M team? I think without a doubt, although Tyra White and Kelsey Bone might have something to say about that. But when it comes to doing everything that it takes to be a champion, Carter has "it" in spades. With the departure of Syd Colson, Danielle Adams, Maryann Baker and Catherine Snow (who got engaged on the court during the under-4:00 media timeout in the first half), A&M's best leader knew she had to step up in a huge way to fill the void. The early returns have been exceptional. Carter did not shoot the ball very well against the Louisville zone, but she did everything else ... and flat-out got after it on the defensive end. Syd never allows her offense to negatively affect her defense, and it was quite the opposite in this one, as her defensive intensity and pressure led to several easy buckets for herself and her teammates on the offensive end. Carter's eight steals are a career-high and the most by and A&M player since Toccara Williams in 2004. And if there were categories for guts and gritty determination, Syd would fill up the statsheet. Gary Blair said after the game that Carter could offer a true challenge for Manny Pacquiao if Floyd Mayweather doesn't want to fight him. She's that tough and she shows it game-in, game-out. If the Ags are going to get back to the Final Four and have a chance to repeat as national champions, Sydney Carter will be the key figure to lead them there.

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Post-Game Press Conference Quotes

A&M Head Coach Gary Blair

Opening Statement…

"Lousiville is a very good ball club, but we did not play all of Louisville. They had three starters out. Instead of a 20-point ballgame, it would’ve been right down to the wire. They’re good. I was hoping I wouldn’t see 40 minutes of zone, but it’s what I saw. He had to do that because of lack of depth. We had some outside shots, we weren’t hitting them. And we got into foul trouble and had to get out of what was working and that was the fast tempo game and getting out early before they could get in their zone."

On the team’s foul trouble and Sydney Carter’s play…

"We were fouling, but we were aggressive. Everyone is trying to be Sydney Carter. But there’s only one Sydney Carter. That’s defense. Just watch her on film the whole time. She makes everyone else play harder. She wasn’t ready to come out in 38 minutes, but I had to rest her with a 20-point lead."

On Kelsey Bone’s play…

"She’s getting better, but she was a force in the middle. When she gets that offensive board, she needs to split the defense. She’s getting better, she’s getting her minutes , she’s listening to coaching."

On the growth of the program…

"Things are starting to change. We’re getting there. We’re learning how to market. The banner was special. The ceremony was right on time. Getting to do it on ESPN, that was special."

On the thing he liked the most about how A&M played…

"We competed. We made turnovers. It was a long game; a lot of whistles a lot of turnovers, a lot of free throw attempts. I really like the way our press has affected teams our first two games."

On the value of being champions and defending a championship…

"It’s not just defending one, but acting like a champion, dressing like a champion, taking care of academics. We can learn so much from this. Just the personal appearances we have in the White House to the ESPYs, you can’t get that as a regular student. They’re learning how to communicate, and that’s what it’s all about on the next level."


A&M Post Kelsey Bone

Did you feel you did much better rebounding than in your last game?

"I think it was very huge for us. I took it personally last game. I think I had one rebound. Coach Blair challenged me, and I knew if I did nothing else I had to rebound tonight. We got out-rebounded against Oklahoma City a couple of weeks ago and Coach Schaefer has been on us. It’s something I take personal because it’s just about going to get the ball, about who wants it more."

What did coach Blair tell you in his office?

"He told me that today is your game, and I feel like it’s going to be the one where you break out , so just go out there and do what you can do."

Is it hard to show emotion when you’re up by 20?

"No, it’s never hard because we have practice tomorrow. WE don’t want to catch the brunt of that, so it’s never hard to do that."

On getting into early foul trouble…

"I think it’s just something where the adrenaline is flowing, we raise the banner, we have a top ranked team coming in, who a couple of places had ranked high that us. I think we took that personal as a team coming in. The adrenaline is pumping, it’s kind of like a hot stove, you have to touch it then come back touch it then come back."

On having no turnovers today…

"That’s really exciting for me, to have no turnovers. I could have hung my head about my performance on Saturday, but I have the best teammates in the world. No matter what, they’re going to keep getting me the ball. It’s about getting into it. Tonight, we had to protect home court. I don’t think we’ve lost a non-conference game in here in forever,  so we didn’t want this to be the ones who did it. We didn’t want to be the group to mess it up. But no turnovers, that’s a good day for me."


A&M Guard Sydney Carter

What helped to boost the team when Louisville went on a run in the second half?

"I think it was just a matter of our leaders stepping up and knowing we need the ball in our hands. Tyra came in, I was in a shooting slump, Tyra got on the offensive boards. That sparked us, looking at Tyra and knowing she’s playing hard. And I think we were just picking it up on the defense end. I switched to Smith and forced some turnovers. As soon as we get it going on defense, things started to work out."

On being able to run the ball well and force turnovers…

"I have to credit that to our conditioning. Our coaches do a really good job making sure we out run the other team, they take pride in that. Like I said, if they see me playing hard, it motivates them to play hard."

How did it feel to win on the day you have the banner raised?

"It’s very emotional, it’s definitely something we take pride in because this is the day we hang our banner and we definitely don’t want to loss period, but especially not when we raise our banner. Definitely a good win, they’re a good team. They gave us a run for our money."


A&M Guard Tyra White

What helped you force turnovers?

"I just think it’s our pressure. It’s how we play. That’s what our coaches say, nobody can actually do what we do, just us. I think it’s just maybe our pressure."

On offensive rebounding...

"We take pride in it, we do rebounding drills every day, Coach Schaefer, my shot weren’t falling at first, I got in some early foul trouble, but I just kept trying to rebound and get on the inside."

On getting in early foul trouble…

"I was hyped up a little bit. Just coming out playing different team, especially Louisville, a top ranked team. After a while it kind of calmed down and we started executing well."

How did it feel to have that banner raised today?

"It was like we won the game again. It’s actually good to get my ring so people can stop asking me where my ring is. I can just show it to them now."


Louisville Head Coach Jeff Walz

On A&M’s defensive pressure…

"They’re fantastic, they play hard, they deny, they’re aggressive. I thought we handled the initial pressure well. We got them out of pressing full court. But once we got the ball across full court, it was bad. We were also missing some key players out there. I’m not saying we win, but it’s different when you have an experience point guard on the floor. I thought Jude played well for us. But for the most part, their pressure is really good."

How did A&M jump to a 19 point lead in the second half?

"I’ll go look through the tape, I but feel confident it was offensive rebounds. We gave up three or four in a row. Then they hit a three, Pratcher did, on the left wing where we left her completely open. She’s one of those players that I told the team to make her shoot it, but you can’t give her a wide open shot. But they’re a very talented team, they went on a run and it got a big lead in a hurry."

On competing without some of the team…

"It’s part of college athletics. When I scheduled the game, I expected to have those players on the court. It’s a challenge to play a team like this when you don’t have your two first team All-Big East players."

On Kelsey Bone’s play, and A&M filling roles that were filled by graduated players last year…

"Bone is pretty darn good guys, I’m just telling you. They had to replace Danielle Adams, who can score as well as anyone I have seen in college basketball, but they have some good returning players and some freshman that can play. Kelsey will only get better. When she gets in playing shape and keeps out of that early foul trouble, they’re going to be a tough team to beat."


Louisville Freshman Guard Bria Smith

How did you feel the team played?

"I just think we just have to get back and work on pretty much everything. We have to work on our rebounding, boxing out and just executing things better."

"It was pretty tough. I think that we got after it for the most part, but we weren’t for a stretch, we just let them get offensive rebounds and lost a lot of defense."

On missing a few teammates…

"Yes, definitely. They would’ve helped us out a bunch."

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Post-Game Notes

* Texas A&M used the starting lineup of Adrienne Pratcher, Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Kelsey Bone… It marked the second start of Bone’s Aggie career, the third career start for Pratcher, 56th for Carter, 73rd for White and 76th for Elonu.

* A&M defeated its highest ranked opponent at home since upsetting No. 6 Duke, 95-77, on Nov. 15, 2009.

* The Aggies have now won 45 straight non-conference home games, since a 40-46 loss to Houston in December 2003. In addition, A&M has won 72 of its last 79 home games.

* With the win, Texas A&M evened the all-time series at 1-1.

* Texas A&M’s 28 offensive rebounds were the most since grabbing 29 against Lamar on Jan. 4, 2010. A&M’s offensive rebound advantage was 28-19.

* Texas A&M lead by as many as 25 in the second half.

* The Aggies outscored Louisville in the paint 42-28.

* The attendance of 6,943 was the largest regular season non-conference crowd in program history.

* White has now started in 60 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.

* White has also scored double figures in her last 11 games (which includes nine from last season).

* Carter’s career-high eight steals was the most steals by an Aggie since Toccara Williams had nine steals on Jan. 25, 2004 against Texas.

* Pratcher has another solid game with 7 points, eight assists and four rebounds.

* Off the bench, Karla Gilbert added 9 points and seven rebounds.

* Bone and White combined for 11 offensive boards.

* Blair is just two wins away from 600 career wins (598-242).