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Texas A&M Women’s Basketball: Mississippi State preview

By Mary Catherine McCord

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 05: Head coach Gary Blair of the Texas A&M Aggies poses with his team after the championship game of the 2011 NCAA Women's Final Four on April 5, 2011 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. the Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76-70 to win the national title. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 05: Head coach Gary Blair of the Texas A&M Aggies poses with his team after the championship game of the 2011 NCAA Women's Final Four on April 5, 2011 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. the Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76-70 to win the national title. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The No. 17 Texas A&M women’s basketball team returns to action on Sunday as they travel to Starkville, Mississippi to take on No. 2 and undefeated Mississippi State.

This game is a big one year in and year out regardless of what the teams may be ranked or what their record may be. The Texas A&M/Mississippi State game pits hall of fame head coach Gary Blair against several of his former players and assistants.

The Mississippi State coaching staff with ties to Texas A&M include:

  • Vic Schaefer, Mississippi State Head Coach and Texas A&M class of 1984. Was the Associate Head Coach at A&M from 2003-2011, and came to A&M with Coach Blair from Arkansas.
  • Johnnie Harris, Mississippi State Associate Head Coach. Texas A&M Assistant Coach 2007-2012.
  • Maryann Baker, Director of Operations. Texas A&M player from 2008-2011 and a member of the 2011 National Championship team.
  • Skylar Collins, Director of Scouting/Video Coordinator. Texas A&M player from 2008-2011 and a member of the 2011 National Championship team.

Texas A&M under Vic Schaefer

The biggest name on the list, of course, is Bulldog head coach Vic Schaefer. If you followed Texas A&M basketball while he was here, you might have heard him referred to as “the Secretary of Defense.”

Texas A&M prided itself on defense under Coach Schaefer, and that defense was a huge reason the Aggies won the 2011 National Championship. The team finished the season 33-5. They knocked off No. 3 Baylor, No. 2 Stanford, and No. 9 Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and National Championship games respectively to win the title.

Mississippi State under Vic Schaefer

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In the five and a half seasons since Schaefer left for Mississippi State, the Aggies are 3-2 against the Bulldogs. The 2018 Bulldogs are a perfect 27-0 and at the very least will finish the 2017 SEC season as co-regular season champions. They have a very good shot to make a return to the National Championship game this season, after falling to conference foe South Carolina in 2017.

The Bulldogs are led this season by Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan. McCowan averages a double-double with 19.0 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. She also has 51 blocks on the season. Vivians averages 19.6 points per game.

Each player averages about 30 minutes a game so it is critical that the Aggies take advantage of the minutes they are off the court and find a way to at least slow down their production when they are in.

State is also a threat from outside with several players shooting 40% or better from beyond the arc.

The 2018 Aggies

The Aggies, of course, are led by super freshman Chennedy Carter. After a rough game at LSU last week, Carter responded with 28 points in Texas A&M’s 85-80 victory against Florida on Thursday night.

Junior Danni Williams just hit 10,000 career points a few games ago and can get the Aggies going from deep when needed.

A fun match-up to watch will be Anriel Howard and Khaalia Hillsman against Vivians and McCowan. Howard is Texas A&M’s rebound machine. In 2016 she set an NCAA Tournament record with 27 rebounds in a first round game against Missouri State. This season she is averaging 11.9 per game.

Hillsman comes into the game averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Next: 25 Celebrities you didn't know were Aggies

Prediction

All said and done, it’s going to be a close game. Whoever wins the rebound game will more than likely win. Carter will do a lot to keep the Aggies in it, but with the game in Starkville and history not on A&M’s side, I expect the Aggies to lose a close, high scoring game 83-78. However, I do expect this game to be one of the best games we’ve seen yet between Schaefer’s Bulldogs and Blair’s Aggies.