The SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament is underway. Texas A&M, which ended the regular season on a disappointing three-game losing streak, entered the tournament as a 9-seed. On Thursday morning, the Aggies thoroughly defeated the 8-seed Mississippi State Bulldogs 72-56 to move on to the quarterfinal round.
According to multiple analysts, the Aggies were on the cusp of earning an NCAA Tournament bid, so winning at least one game in this week’s event was absolutely vital. Coming off her 15-point performance in Sunday’s loss to Alabama, senior guard Aicha Coulibaly was determined to will the Aggies toward a victory.
With an eye on exposing the Bulldogs in the paint, Texas A&M outscored Mississippi State 36-22 inside, led by Coulibaly’s 17 points. Sophomore forward Janiah Barker provided 15 points and nine rebounds as the Aggies out-rebounded the Bulldogs 40-32.
Off the bench, veteran guard Endyia Rogers netter 12 points, including a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc, as Roger’s second three on the day added to A&M’s 20-point lead with 8 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Aggies take down the Bulldogs (again)‼️ pic.twitter.com/Z6xukokZUy
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) March 7, 2024
With the win, the Aggies are now gifted a meeting with the best team in the country, the South Carolina Gamecocks. With a win, expect this team to earn an at-large seed.
Texas A&M will face South Carolina at 12:00 EST on Friday, March 8. The game will air on the SEC Network.
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