No. 8 Texas A&M’s first home conference game ended with a commanding 77-60 victory over the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats. Aggie guards Jordan Nixon and Aaliyah Wilson were the high scorers with Nixon recording a career-high 19 points and Wilson adding 18.
Throughout the first half, it was obvious that there was a top ten battle in Reed Arena. With so much talent on the floor, it was Jordan Nixon who stood out among the rest in the opening minutes. Scoring the first eleven points of the game for A&M, Nixon provided an early spark for the Aggies.
“Jordan came out like a champion today,” head coach Gary Blair said after the game. “She provided momentum from the opening tip, which boosted this team going forward.”
Kentucky took a 21-18 lead into the second quarter and opened with a 6-2 run to provide the Wildcats with a 27-20 lead roughly halfway through the period. However, the bottom half of the second frame was all Texas A&M.
Aaliyah Wilson scored eight in the quarter with four coming from the free throw line. The Aggie defense also stepped up, allowing only four points in the last seven minutes of the half. Kentucky finished the quarter making one of their last eight shots, and the Aggies and Wildcats were tied at 31 heading into halftime.
Lia Musgrave, TexAgs
Aaliyah Wilson had a strong night, pouring in 18 against the Wildcats.
Despite finishing strong to end the quarter, Coach Blair was not pleased at halftime.
“Coach told us Kentucky played harder in the first half,” Wilson said. “He stressed to take control of the pace and to get the ball down low more.”
The game plan worked to perfection in the third quarter, as Texas A&M scored 22 points in the third alone. Ciera Johnson was the scoring leader with eight, six of which came from inside the paint.
“Coach told me to be ready in the second half,” Johnson said after the game. “We were able to get the ball inside more which opened up outside shots for our other players.”
Texas A&M topped their third quarter performance, scoring 24 in the final quarter to separate themselves from the 10th ranked Wildcats. The Aggies were able to take total control of the pace, making three throws along the way to secure the victory.
“Our kids showed they can fight through adversity,” coach Blair said. “Both teams were tired in the second half but they battled through and came away with the win.”
The road for Texas A&M does not get any easier, as the Aggies’ next game will be at the 13th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. The game against Arkansas is scheduled for Sunday, January 10th at 3:00 p.m. on SEC Network.
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