“There is a reason why the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield.”
Texas A&M head coach Joni Taylor summed it up perfectly after the 13-seed Aggies fired on all cylinders to knock off 5-seed Mississippi State in the second round of the SEC Tournament, 79-72.
A&M wasn’t quite ready to head home as they have found quite the groove in Greenville, S.C.
Seeking revenge on a team who handed them two losses during the regular season, the Aggies took care of business against the Bulldogs to become the lowest-seeded team ever to advance to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.
Shots were falling for the Aggies as they converted 52 percent from the field and a fiery 65 percent from beyond the arc.
All-SEC Freshmen selection Sydney Bowles led the charge just as she did in Wednesday’s win over Vanderbilt, following up yesterday’s career-high 22 points with 19 against the Bulldogs.
“I think it's just starting to come together for us at the right time,” Taylor said. “These last two games it's all coming together. Our babies are growing up. We still have a lot of growing up to do, but you can watch it happen in front of you. Again, they trust the process.”
The first quarter did no favors for the Aggies, yet it didn’t knock them off course. They bounced back with dominating offensive and defensive performances in the second.
A 16-0 run silenced the Bulldogs until they were able to score their only field goal of the quarter eight minutes in.
Shooting an abysmal nine percent in the frame, Mississippi State lacked offensive production after leading scorer Jessika Carter was benched for getting into early foul trouble.
After the break, the Bulldogs put up more of a fight, trading scoring possessions with A&M.
Bowles’ hot hand from deep added nine points to keep the Aggies up and ready to battle heading into the final 10 minutes. Jada Malone and Aaliyah Patty assisted Bowles down low as they combined for 27 points.
Mississippi State began to amp up the pressure, and Carter returned from the bench to bolster their scoring efforts. Her eight points in the final frame helped shave what was a 10-point lead down to just three.
But the Aggies held off their Maroon & White foes.
“One of the main things that we have been trying to become is consistent,” Bowles said. “Consistently trying to win the quarter and not letting the hits waiver us. I think we did a really good job of staying poised tonight.”
Entering the SEC Tournament as a 13-seed with only two conference wins under their belt, the Aggies have had quite the turnaround with two wins in postseason play.
Looking for a chance to head to the semifinals, A&M will take on 4-seed Ole Miss on Friday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. CT.
