Photo by Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Texas A&M Women's Basketball
True Brown: A&M's national title defense ends in round of 16
Post-Game Audio - Gary Blair, Sydney Carter, Alexia Standish & Kelsey Bone: LINK
Box Score - Maryland 81, Texas A&M 74: LINK
The Texas A&M women’s basketball team twice had second-seeded Maryland on the ropes but failed to deliver the knockout blow in the Raleigh regional semifinal Sunday afternoon. The result was a heartbreaking 81-74 loss in the Sweet 16 at PNC Arena.
A&M held an 18-point lead in the first half and an 11-point lead in the second but saw both leads evaporate quickly against the physical Lady Terrapins.
Alyssa Thomas and Laurin Mincy both scored 21 points for Maryland (31-4), while Lynetta Kizer had 15 and Tianna Hawkins added 12.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Freshman Alexia Standish led the Aggies with 19 points and showed flashes of brilliance in the A&M defeat.
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Things looked good early on for the Aggies (24-11), who led the game for 35 minutes thanks to a balanced scoring attack. Five players scored in double figures, led by Alexia Standish with 19. Sydney Carter chipped in 13 to go with 10-point efforts by Kelsey Bone, Skylar Collins and Karla Gilbert.
However, the Aggies, who led by 11 with 11 minutes to go, couldn’t close the deal.
A&M had five turnovers in the game’s final five minutes and only managed one score in that time. The Lady Terrapins, meanwhile, finished the game with a 16-2 run to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009.
Maryland won this game on the glass, pulling down 21 offensive rebounds. Several easy put-backs in the game’s final minutes helped Maryland put a nail in the Aggies’ coffin. For the game, Maryland had a 42-30 advantage on the boards.
There wasn’t much to rebound early on, however. Maryland may be the nation’s second-highest scoring team, but it was A&M that exploded out of the gates on offense. The Lady Terrapins took a quick 2-0 lead before A&M then ripped off 12 consecutive points to seize control early.
Alexia Standish and Sydney Carter both hit three pointers before the first media timeout, while the Aggies frenetic defense flustered Maryland into missing six of its first seven shots.
Gary Blair’s team worked inside-out, with Kelsey Bone getting touches on most possessions. She missed a few shots down low but made a nice spin and jump shot near the free throw line to put the Aggies up 12-2 with 15:53 remaining.
From there, A&M’s guards took over. Skylar Collins was perfect in the first half, hitting four field goals and two three pointers. Standish chipped in 10 in the first half to go along with four assists and just one turnover.
A&M’s lead grew to as much as 18 with 7:10 left, but the Aggies went cold after that. In the final six minutes of the half, Maryland cobbled together a 21-6 run. Four consecutive free throws by Kizer and Mincy started the run, which included nearly five minutes between scores by the Aggies.
Tyra White, who went to the bench with two fouls just two minutes into the game, re-entered for the last two minutes of the half. She connected on a mid-range jumper to make the score 42-35, but Maryland hit two more shots in the final minute of the half to cut the lead 44-41.
The Terps came dangerously close to tying the game, but a half-court shot at the buzzer rimmed out. Still, Maryland seized momentum late in the half, bringing the largely partisan crowd to its feet.
The Aggies stemmed the tide somewhat early in the second half. Maryland cut the lead to one point on its first possession, but the Aggies then scored eight straight. Bone hit two free throws then made a lay-up on an inbounds play to start the run.
A&M did a good job drawing fouls on Maryland, sending ACC player of the year Alyssa Thomas to the bench with three fouls with 14:44 remaining.
Sydney Carter did a particularly good job of driving the lane and drawing contact. Carter sank six free throw in the first few minutes of the half to help A&M to a 12-point cushion with 13:55 remaining.
With the Aggies up 68-57, Standish drew a foul on a scramble for a loose ball. But she missed the front end of a one and one, and Maryland freshman Brene Mosley drilled a three a few seconds later to give the Terps a spark.
Maryland closed the gap to three after a three-point place by Laurin Mincy with 9:21 remaining. Maryland’s posts got involved after that, with 6-foot-4 Lynetta Kizer getting to the line on three consecutive possessions.
Moseley hit a twisting jumper at the shot clock buzzer to give Maryland its first lead, 73-72, with just over four minutes remaining. Standish immediately answered with a layup with 3:48 to go to put the Aggies up by one, but it was all Maryland after that.
- Alyssa Thomas gets most of the press for Maryland, but sophomore Laurin Mincy was fantastic. Her height created some tough mismatches on both ends of the floor. Mincy notched her first career double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds and finished 7-of-8 from the field.
- Alexia Standish really stepped into her own late in the season. She knocked down big shot after big shot, but the one she might remember the most was an open three-pointer from the right baseline with 1:16 remaining. The shot would have tied the game, but it rimmed out and Maryland promptly stretched the lead to five on its ensuing possession. Standish, however, was the only A&M player to score in the final seven minutes of the game. Gary Blair has to be pleased with how she matured as the season progressed. She will be a leader for this team next year.
- How big was Skylar Collins in the last two games? The Aggies wouldn’t have advanced to Raleigh without the Collins’ clutch minutes. She chipped in eight points against Arkansas and then connected on 10 points in the first half against Maryland. Huge, huge contributions from a player who averaged just three points per game in the regular season. She didn’t miss a single shot against Arkansas or Maryland.
- A&M has struggled scoring at times this year, but the offense in the first 13 minutes of this game was a thing of beauty. A&M shot better than 50 percent in the first half for the first time in the NCAA Tournament. It as just the eighth time this season A&M made more than half of its shots in the first half, and to do it against a long, athletic Maryland team was really impressive.
- The loss marked the end of the A&M careers for Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu, Kelsey Assarian and Skylar Collins. This class was pivotal in the Aggies’ national championship run last year and each have been great representatives of A&M. Blair recently signed a fantastic group of freshmen, but it will be impossible to completely replace the intangibles this group brought to the table.
- Kudos to the Aggie fans who traveled to Raleigh. A&M sold its entire allotment of tickets, and fans even turned out Saturday night for a reception at the team hotel. It’s a process, but Aggie fan are definitely figuring out what it takes to be a basketball school. Heck, there were even a few clusters of maroon-clad fans tailgating well before the game. It was cool to see at a venue so far from College Station.
- I’m going to miss Vic Schaefer. He has always been a first-class guy and been a pleasure to deal with, and he’ll make a great head coach in Starkville. It was evident his final NCAA Tournament run with the Aggies meant a lot to him. One poignant moment occurred on the flight to Raleigh. Vic took time to walk up and down the airplane aisles to shake everyone’s hand and pat folks on the back. A&M means a lot to Vic, and he will be missed.
Box Score - Maryland 81, Texas A&M 74: LINK
Recap
RALEIGH, N.C. — What a tough loss to stomach.The Texas A&M women’s basketball team twice had second-seeded Maryland on the ropes but failed to deliver the knockout blow in the Raleigh regional semifinal Sunday afternoon. The result was a heartbreaking 81-74 loss in the Sweet 16 at PNC Arena.
A&M held an 18-point lead in the first half and an 11-point lead in the second but saw both leads evaporate quickly against the physical Lady Terrapins.
Alyssa Thomas and Laurin Mincy both scored 21 points for Maryland (31-4), while Lynetta Kizer had 15 and Tianna Hawkins added 12.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Freshman Alexia Standish led the Aggies with 19 points and showed flashes of brilliance in the A&M defeat.
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However, the Aggies, who led by 11 with 11 minutes to go, couldn’t close the deal.
A&M had five turnovers in the game’s final five minutes and only managed one score in that time. The Lady Terrapins, meanwhile, finished the game with a 16-2 run to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009.
Maryland won this game on the glass, pulling down 21 offensive rebounds. Several easy put-backs in the game’s final minutes helped Maryland put a nail in the Aggies’ coffin. For the game, Maryland had a 42-30 advantage on the boards.
There wasn’t much to rebound early on, however. Maryland may be the nation’s second-highest scoring team, but it was A&M that exploded out of the gates on offense. The Lady Terrapins took a quick 2-0 lead before A&M then ripped off 12 consecutive points to seize control early.
Alexia Standish and Sydney Carter both hit three pointers before the first media timeout, while the Aggies frenetic defense flustered Maryland into missing six of its first seven shots.
Gary Blair’s team worked inside-out, with Kelsey Bone getting touches on most possessions. She missed a few shots down low but made a nice spin and jump shot near the free throw line to put the Aggies up 12-2 with 15:53 remaining.
From there, A&M’s guards took over. Skylar Collins was perfect in the first half, hitting four field goals and two three pointers. Standish chipped in 10 in the first half to go along with four assists and just one turnover.
A&M’s lead grew to as much as 18 with 7:10 left, but the Aggies went cold after that. In the final six minutes of the half, Maryland cobbled together a 21-6 run. Four consecutive free throws by Kizer and Mincy started the run, which included nearly five minutes between scores by the Aggies.
Tyra White, who went to the bench with two fouls just two minutes into the game, re-entered for the last two minutes of the half. She connected on a mid-range jumper to make the score 42-35, but Maryland hit two more shots in the final minute of the half to cut the lead 44-41.
The Terps came dangerously close to tying the game, but a half-court shot at the buzzer rimmed out. Still, Maryland seized momentum late in the half, bringing the largely partisan crowd to its feet.
The Aggies stemmed the tide somewhat early in the second half. Maryland cut the lead to one point on its first possession, but the Aggies then scored eight straight. Bone hit two free throws then made a lay-up on an inbounds play to start the run.
A&M did a good job drawing fouls on Maryland, sending ACC player of the year Alyssa Thomas to the bench with three fouls with 14:44 remaining.
Sydney Carter did a particularly good job of driving the lane and drawing contact. Carter sank six free throw in the first few minutes of the half to help A&M to a 12-point cushion with 13:55 remaining.
With the Aggies up 68-57, Standish drew a foul on a scramble for a loose ball. But she missed the front end of a one and one, and Maryland freshman Brene Mosley drilled a three a few seconds later to give the Terps a spark.
Maryland closed the gap to three after a three-point place by Laurin Mincy with 9:21 remaining. Maryland’s posts got involved after that, with 6-foot-4 Lynetta Kizer getting to the line on three consecutive possessions.
Moseley hit a twisting jumper at the shot clock buzzer to give Maryland its first lead, 73-72, with just over four minutes remaining. Standish immediately answered with a layup with 3:48 to go to put the Aggies up by one, but it was all Maryland after that.
Additional Notes & Thoughts
- Maryland is a fantastic rebounding team. The Terrapins haven’t been outrebounded in two months, and they cruised to a 42-30 edge on the glass against undersized A&M. Allowing 21 offensive rebounds spelled doom for the Aggies chances of pulling an upset. Credit Maryland for that…they are simply a fantastic rebounding team. All five players on the court do what it takes to clean the glass.
The Terrapins haven’t been outrebounded in two months, and they cruised to a 42-30 edge on the glass against undersized A&M.
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- If you would have told me the Aggies would have five players score in double figures and get 20 points from the bench, I would have thought the Aggies would win going away. It looked like that would be the case early, but Maryland just wouldn’t stay down. That’s the hallmark of a mentally strong team, and Maryland was outstanding down the stretch when it needed points the most.- Alyssa Thomas gets most of the press for Maryland, but sophomore Laurin Mincy was fantastic. Her height created some tough mismatches on both ends of the floor. Mincy notched her first career double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds and finished 7-of-8 from the field.
- Alexia Standish really stepped into her own late in the season. She knocked down big shot after big shot, but the one she might remember the most was an open three-pointer from the right baseline with 1:16 remaining. The shot would have tied the game, but it rimmed out and Maryland promptly stretched the lead to five on its ensuing possession. Standish, however, was the only A&M player to score in the final seven minutes of the game. Gary Blair has to be pleased with how she matured as the season progressed. She will be a leader for this team next year.
- How big was Skylar Collins in the last two games? The Aggies wouldn’t have advanced to Raleigh without the Collins’ clutch minutes. She chipped in eight points against Arkansas and then connected on 10 points in the first half against Maryland. Huge, huge contributions from a player who averaged just three points per game in the regular season. She didn’t miss a single shot against Arkansas or Maryland.
- A&M has struggled scoring at times this year, but the offense in the first 13 minutes of this game was a thing of beauty. A&M shot better than 50 percent in the first half for the first time in the NCAA Tournament. It as just the eighth time this season A&M made more than half of its shots in the first half, and to do it against a long, athletic Maryland team was really impressive.
- The loss marked the end of the A&M careers for Sydney Carter, Tyra White, Adaora Elonu, Kelsey Assarian and Skylar Collins. This class was pivotal in the Aggies’ national championship run last year and each have been great representatives of A&M. Blair recently signed a fantastic group of freshmen, but it will be impossible to completely replace the intangibles this group brought to the table.
- Kudos to the Aggie fans who traveled to Raleigh. A&M sold its entire allotment of tickets, and fans even turned out Saturday night for a reception at the team hotel. It’s a process, but Aggie fan are definitely figuring out what it takes to be a basketball school. Heck, there were even a few clusters of maroon-clad fans tailgating well before the game. It was cool to see at a venue so far from College Station.
- I’m going to miss Vic Schaefer. He has always been a first-class guy and been a pleasure to deal with, and he’ll make a great head coach in Starkville. It was evident his final NCAA Tournament run with the Aggies meant a lot to him. One poignant moment occurred on the flight to Raleigh. Vic took time to walk up and down the airplane aisles to shake everyone’s hand and pat folks on the back. A&M means a lot to Vic, and he will be missed.
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