Aggies maintain off gritty Commodores in first spherical

GREENVILLE, S.C. – A career-high 22 factors, together with a pair of late buckets, by freshman Sydney Bowles led Texas A&M to a 77-70 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores in Wednesday’s SEC Match first spherical motion inside Bon Secours Wellness Area.

Bowles hit 8-of-17 from the sector, together with a career-high six 3-point discipline targets. Her greatest basket got here with slightly below two minutes remaining within the sport when she hit a 3-pointer to cease a 14-0 run which had minimize A&M’s snug lead all the way down to a precarious 69-66.

Bowles additionally made a layup with 1:21 left to maintain the Aggies out entrance by six factors. The All-SEC Freshman Workforce choice scored 11 of her factors within the fourth quarter, making 4-of-6 from the sector, together with 3-of-5 from lengthy vary.

Three different Aggies logged 12 factors, together with Sahara Jones, Jada Malone and Aaliah Patty. Jones had two key free throws within the waning seconds. Malone’s dozen factors matched a profession excessive as she made 6-of-7 from the sector. Patty recorded a double-double, main the staff with 11 factors and 5 assists.

The Aggies opened a 7-2 lead on the 6:52 mark of the primary quarter. The groups seesawed for the subsequent 5 minutes with three lead adjustments and two ties. Texas A&M carried a 21-16 benefit into the primary break with Jones hitting a jumper at 1:11 and Tineya Hylton sinking a 3-pointer with :35 seconds remaining within the interval.

The Maroon & White stretched the margin to double digits early within the second stanza with a 10-2 run within the first two minutes, inflating A&M’s cushion to 31-18. Vanderbilt used an 11-2 run to salt the deficit to 35-31 on the 1:46 mark.

Jones stemmed the tide with a 3-pointer and a pair of late Janiah Barker free throws put the Aggies up 40-33 on the intermission.

The trio of Bowles, Jones and Malone had eight factors apiece within the first half. Patty pulled down six rebounds and the Maroon & White had 10 assists on their 15 buckets, paced by McKinzie Inexperienced with three.

After Vanderbilt minimize the deficit to 42-38 on the 8:03 mark of the third quarter, Malone keyed an 8-0 run with a layup and jumper within the paint as A&M led 50-38 on the halfway level of the interval.

The ‘Dores had been unable to shave the deficit to single digits once more within the third quarter and two Patty layups put A&M up 61-47 on the final break. Bowles’ 3-pointers at 9:18 and seven:55 gave the Maroon & White their largest lead of the sport at 17 factors earlier than the flurry of Commodore baskets.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Texas A&M improved to 8-19 on the season. The Aggies’ general file towards Vanderbilt strikes to 10-6 and the Maroon & White avenged their 88-79 regular-season loss on Jan. 29.
• Texas A&M improved to 12-9 on the SEC Match.
• Joni Taylor’s profession file advances to 148-94 all-time and to 8-19 in her first season with the Aggies. Coach Taylor improved to 6-7 on the SEC Match, together with 1-0 at Texas A&M.
• The Aggies owned a 34-26 edge rebounds, together with 8-6 in offensive rebounds and 26-20 in defensive rebounds.
• The Maroon & White had 20+ assists in a sport for the primary time since Feb. 10, 2022, versus Vanderbilt.
• Texas A&M owned a 38-26 edge in second-chance factors., together with 20-10 within the second half.
• The Aggies hit 51.7% (30-of-58) from the sector, their third greatest taking pictures effort of the season, together with 55.6% (15-of-27) within the second half.
• Texas A&M utilized a beginning lineup of Sydney Bowles, Kay Kay Inexperienced, Sahara Jones, Jada Malone and Aaliyah Patty for the fourth time this season (2-2).
• Bowles drained a career-high six 3-point discipline targets and have become the primary Aggie to nail six-or-more triples since Jordan Nixon hit six towards Northwestern (Nov. 27).
• Sahara Jones registered 12 factors, 4 rebounds, one block and one help. Recorded double digits within the scoring column for the eleventh time this season and the thirteenth time in her profession.
• Malone equaled a profession excessive with 12 factors, hitting 6-of-7 from the sector. Matched a profession excessive with 2 blocks and added three rebounds and one help. She recorded double digits within the scoring column for fifth time this season.
• Patty recorded her fourth double-double of the season and the fifteenth of her profession with 12 factors and 11 rebounds. She recorded double digits within the scoring column for the tenth time this season and the forty ninth time in her profession.
• Patty logged double digits in rebounding for the ninth time this season and the twenty second time in her profession, whereas main the staff in rebounding for the sixteenth time this season and the forty fourth time in her profession. She led staff in assists for the fifth time this season and the seventh time in her profession.

UP NEXT

The Aggies play No. 5-seed Mississippi State in Thursday’s second spherical. The sport begins 25 minutes after the 11 a.m. contest between Arkansas and Missouri. Vanderbilt finishes its season with a 12-19 file general after ending 3-13 within the SEC.