WBB 'Senior Night' Notes, Quotes, Audio: A&M 79, Tech 51

Snippets

- Gary Blair started his five seniors to reward them for their hard work throughout their careers. The ladies didn't disappoint the head coach as they sparked the crowd and their team with an abundant amount of energy.

- Energy was the name of the game as the Ags went on a 12-0 scoring run in the first half and extended their lead to 36-18 heading into the locker room.

- At the half, A&M lead in every statistical category: points in the paint, points off turnovers, second chance points, fast break points, and bench scoring. The only aspect of the Ags first half performance that the coaches could have criticized was the turnover situation, in which the Ags had 10 by intermission.

- The second half started much like the first half, with A&M jumping out to a 14-0 run in the first five minutes.  As if it wasn't already apparent, A&M was in complete control of the game at this point with a 50-18 lead.

- Here are the combined stats for the five starting seniors: 36 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, and 4 steals. They also connected on 17-of-32 shot attempts throughout the game. It was a great game for the seniors in front of their families and friends for one of the last times to play at Reed Arena.

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Post-Game Notes

- For the first time this season, Texas A&M used the starting lineup of seniors Sydney Carter, Skylar Collins, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu and Kelsey Assarian. It marked the first career start for Collins and the second career start for Assarian.

- Texas A&M improves to 19-54 in the all-time series with Texas Tech, and has won five of the last six matchups.

- A&M has won seven straight against the Lady Raiders when playing at Reed Arena.

- A&M held Tech to a first half season low 18 points and a held them to 25 percent shooting.

- The Aggies tallied double-digit blocks for only the second time this season and with 10 blocks were one shy of their season high.

- The Aggies are 6-3 on national TV this season.

- For just the third time this season, five players scored in double figures.

- White has now started in 85 straight games, a streak that started on Jan. 4, 2010 against Lamar.

- White scored in double figures for the 22nd time this season and Bone for the 19th time, Elonu for the 17th time, Gilbert for the fourth time and Standish for the second.

- A&M’s 19 assists was its second-most all season, next to 23 against Mississippi State.

- Bone registered her 14th career and fifth double-double this season. Five assists were a career best.

- Standish’s 13 points were a career-best.

- Assarian grabbed six rebounds and added 2 points, two steals and two assists.
 

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Post-Game Quotes

Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair

Opening Statement...
"We played well tonight. I think one of the things that really changed the game early was the five seniors, because they play with so much energy. I told them Thursday that I was probably going to do that, I haven’t done it in years, but it worked out."

On the teams’ defensive play...
"Look what Carter did on Monique Smalls. She held her 0-8 in the last game in Lubbock and then 1-11 here. Monique Smalls is one of the best in the league. We did a pretty good job on Brown. She has been their best player for about a month."

On the crowd...
"We’ve had great fans all year. I know our numbers have been very close to last year’s, but they’ve been so much better this year. They learned from watching the playoffs last year, they expect so much more from us. Our fans are more knowledgeable about the game, and I think that’s tremendous."

On Kelsey Assarian’s play...
"Assarian gives us so much energy. That’s my Rambo- that’s my Kurt Rambis. You have to have players like that coming off the bench for you and that’s what she does when she comes in the game."

On A&M’s point guard play...
"Both of my point guards played very well today, both Pratcher and Standish. Sometimes the bench is a great equalizer. They’re seeing a senior go out there and run and great one in Monique Smalls on the other end, so when they went in the game, I thought they both played extremely well. I liked the energy of Pratcher and I liked how Standish said, hey I can knock down these shots."

On A&M’s run in the first half and what was working...
"Defense. We were forcing them and controlling the defensive boards. Early on when Bone came in, she had seven rebounds in the first half. She was really going to the boards. We were also able to keep (Jordan) Barncastle from shooting the 3-ball. They missed some dead-on shots that would have made the game tighter at halftime, but we had 10 blocked shots and what about the one by Carter!"

What gives you confidence for Monday?
"I’m hoping 13,000 people. That gives me confidence. We’ve played Baylor five times in less than a year. They’re good. They’re the best team in the country. They’ve beaten the top two challengers in Notre Dame and Connecticut. Let’s keep getting better every time we play Baylor. That’s what we did last year and that’s what we want to keep doing now."

On getting ready for Baylor...
"We’re going to take it (this win), we’re going to move on, and we only have one day prep to get ready for the best team in the country. We’re going to be ready to give Baylor a whole lot better game than we gave them at their place."

Does Kelsey Bone have to play well for you Monday?
"She has to. It’s not how many points she scores, it’s what she’s going to do defensively. Danielle Adams made (Brittney) Griner work. There isn’t a post player in our league that will go get 20 and 10 on Brittney Griner."

Texas A&M Senior Adaora Elonu

Did Senior Night affect your play?
"I think it did because we were all excited. We didn’t think too much, we just went out there and played. That’s what coach told us in the beginning."

On the team’s consistency...
"I think when we’re having a poor shooting night it affects our defense. That’s what happened in Oklahoma, when we lost that game. When we’re making shots, we feel a lot better about ourselves and our defense thrives off that, and we’re able to score."

Texas A&M Senior Forward Kelsey Assarian

On her second career start and the energy of Senior Night...
"I think there was a lot of energy out there; just going out as five seniors- we have that chemistry together because we have played together for four years. We just wanted to make sure we finished (tonight) with a bang."

Was the extra energy because of Senior Night?
"I don’t know if it was any more or less energy, I think it just being senior night and all the families around. I think as a team we played with a little more energy. The atmosphere contributed."

Was it your game plan to pound the ball inside?
"That was the game plan. Coach Blair has talked about it all season really and I think we’re finally starting to get comfortable. And that was the game plan going in, to get the ball inside. And once we got the ball inside, to dominate. The play of the game changes when we came out of the timeout and Kelsey Assarian got the steal and the layup and we didn’t look back after that. When you have size, we use it."

Are you looking forward to Monday night?
"I’m really looking forward to Monday night. This is why we play basketball. This is why we decided to come to a university like Texas A&M. Big Monday, No. 1 team in the country comes here. It’s exciting. I think it’s something we got our feet a little wet the first time. We now have our game plan and it’s our job to execute the game plan the coaches are putting in front of us."

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Texas Tech Head Coach Kristi Curry

Opening statement...
"Just credit A&M. I thought their five seniors did a fine job. I don’t think it was as much as what we didn’t do, but more of what they did tonight."

What did A&M do so well?
"Just making shots, finishing. Again, they did exactly what you’re supposed to do when you’re honoring five folks that have impacted your program so heavily. On a night like tonight, you credit Texas A&M."

On taking care of the basketball...
"I was really proud that we took care of the basketball and only had 13 turnovers. Pretty much other than the boards I thought our kids did pretty much all we can."

On having a much better second half...
"I thought we got some really good looks the first half, but we shot 25 percent. We just started making some shots. You can get better or worse with each and every day in life, we’ll be better from tonight."

On Texas A&M playing its best against Texas Tech...
"They played very well in Lubbock. Maybe we bring out the best in them. One of their staff told us that was the best they played all year. But you have to hope they saved a little bit for Monday."