Aggies' NCAA Tournament Hopes Take Hit in Loss to Ole Miss
Texas A&M’s hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament in coach Gary Blair’s final season took another hit, as the Aggies lost to Ole Miss, 74-54, on Thursday night.
Entering the game, ESPN considered Texas A&M a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament, naming the Aggies as one of the first four teams out. With a win, ESPN projected the Aggies to join the 68-team field.
But Texas A&M (14-11, 4-9 in SEC) fell behind by as many as 23 points and failed to take advantage of the absence of Ole Miss forward Shakira Austin for the majority of the game. Austin, projected by ESPN as the No. 3 selection in the WNBA Draft, averaged 14.6 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Rebels (18-6, 7-5) entering the game.
Austin had 12 points and three rebounds in 15 minutes before fouling out.
Austin’s teammates picked her up and built a lead that the Aggies managed to cut to 10 points with less than seven minutes left in the game. But, with guard Lashonda Monk leading the way, the Rebels broke a two-game losing streak. Monk finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Ole Miss is seeking its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 15 years. The Rebels also swept the Aggies. Ole Miss beat Texas A&M 80-63 on Jan. 20.
The Aggies struggled for points, and guard Kayla Wells exemplified that struggle. Wells averaged 19.8 points in her last four games. She finished the game with 13 points, but had just one point by halftime, as the Aggies were down 35-19.
Wells was the only Aggie in double figures. Texas A&M shot 40.8 percent from the field. But Texas A&M’s 22 turnovers hurt the Aggies throughout the contest, especially as the Rebels turned those into 17 points.
Ole Miss forward Madison Scott had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, much of that coming without Austin on the floor.
The Aggies announced before Thursday’s game that the court at Reed Arena would be renamed Gary Blair Court, in honor of Blair, who will retire at the end of the season. He was presented with a mock-up of the court, which will be unveiled when the Aggies host No. 1 South Carolina next Thursday.
The Aggies have three games left to impress the NCAA Tournament committee. The Aggies host Alabama at 5 p.m. Sunday, and the Crimson Tide is coming off a 74-64 upset of No. 12 Tennessee on Thursday.
In other SEC games, South Carolina defeated Auburn, 75-38; No. 17 Florida defeated Arkansas, 76-67; No. 21 Georgia defeated Missouri, 74-49; Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt, 69-65; and No. 11 LSU defeated Mississippi State, 71-59.
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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.