Hoops Falls to No. 15 Texas A&M

Feb. 19, 2015

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Courtney Walker scored 19 points and Courtney Williams 16 to lead five Texas A&M players in double figures as the 15th -ranked Aggies cruised past No. 11 Kentucky 81-69 Thursday night.

Tied with the Wildcats and LSU for fourth place entering the night, the Aggies (21-6, 9-4 Southeastern Conference) methodically separated themselves from Kentucky by owning the paint 52-32 with Williams and others often finding clear paths to the basket.

Texas A&M also used its size and depth to outrebound Kentucky (19-7, 8-5) 49-37 including 21 offensive boards en route to its fifth victory in six games and first win in Lexington.

Achiri Ade and Jordan Jones each added 12 points while Khaalia Hillsman 10 for the Aggies, who led by as many as 23.

Makayla Epps had 19 points and Linnae Harper 13 for the Wildcats, who dropped their second straight game and are 3-3 in their last six.

Texas A&M also shot 44 percent from the field for its third straight victory that also moved the Aggies into a third-place tie with Mississippi State, which was off.

Kentucky sought to bounce back from Sunday’s 72-58 loss at No. 6 Tennessee, a game that was close before the Volunteers took control with a 16-6 run in the final eight minutes.

The Wildcats’ front court contributed just 13 points in that loss, something they definitely hoped to improve against an Aggies starting frontcourt featuring 6-foot-5 Hillsman and 6-1 Williams with bigger reinforcements on the bench.

Kentucky achieved its objective in building a 24-16 first half lead through before Texas A&M closed the half on a 22-7 run led by its front court. Reserve Jada Terry, 6-3, got things started with six points before Tavarsha Scott-Williams added back-to-back layups between six more points from Williams, who had 12 in the half.

The combination helped the Aggies own the paint 32-14 through 20 minutes, and they found little resistance down low from Kentucky. The Aggies’ 11-0 run over three minutes broke the game open and provided a cushion as the Wildcats got within 10 points late.