Twenty games into the season and the ladies in maroon and white are flying high. After Sunday afternoon’s comeback win vs. LSU, the Texas A&M Women’s basketball team is ranked 4th in the SEC with a 5-2 record (15-5 overall).
Texas A&M Men’s Hoops was the talk of the town coming into the season. As far as things stand right now they are struggling to defend their SEC Title and haven’t yet found their rhythm after graduating such a storied senior class last season. However, the Women’s Basketball team is making some news of their own after a hot start to the season.
The Season So Far
The ladies have had a successful season to date with notable wins over then No. 19 Syracuse (105-84) and then No. 24 Kentucky (77-68). They are currently ranked No. 22 in the NCAA D1 Women’s Basketball RPI Rankings and received top 25 votes in the Coaches and AP Polls.
On a fun note, Alyssa Michalke joined the team at the start of the season as a walk-on. Michalke served as the first ever female Commander of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. She was a four sport athlete in high school and decided to return to the court for her final year on the Texas A&M campus.
Most recently, Aggie Women’s Hoops made a furious 15 point second half rally to come from behind and beat LSU. That win improved their record to 5-2 in conference play. Sophomore Anriel Howard hit the game winning layup with 3.6 seconds left in regulation. The comeback marked the largest deficit overcome by the Aggies to win since Nov. 30, 2014 against Duke. It also marked the fourth time the ladies in maroon and white have erased a 9+ point deficit to either win or force overtime.
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In the SEC, A&M is ranked:
- No. 4 in total points per game (73.4)
- No. 1 in assists per game (16.4)
- No. 4 in field goal percentage (45.3)
- No. 2 in free throw percentage (74.6)
- No. 6 in rebounds per game (34.9)
Individual Highlights
Sophomore Danni Williams is the leading scorer in the SEC, averaging almost 18 points a game. She has played in all 20 games this season for an average of 38.6 minutes each.
Junior Khaalia Hillsman is ranked No. 6 in overall scoring in the SEC, averaging 17 points per game. She is also second in field goal percentage, sinking 64.9%.
Senior leader and guard Curtyce Knox is the far and away SEC assists leader, averaging just over nine per game. The woman in second is averaging just above four assists per contest. Knox is also fourth in the conference in steals per game at 2.4.
Anriel Howard leads the league in rebounds per game with 11.1 per game. The 5 foot 11 sophomore is seems to have springs in her feet, fighting for rebounds every chance she gets.
Next: Mens Hoops Faces Tough Task Against West Virginia
What’s Next?
The Aggies (15-5) will head out on the road, taking on No. 4 Mississippi State (20-1) on January 29 at 4pm. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. A win at Mississippi State would be huge for this Texas A&M squad.
***Stats from 12thMan.com and SEC Sports***