The No. 23 Texas A&M women's basketball team wrapped up 2018 with a blowout victory over Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 84-61, in Reed Arena to boost their overall record to 11-2 on the season. The 23-point victory was fifth time this season the Aggies defeated a team by 20 points or more.
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This was the type of game that the Aggies had to have to continue building their confidence as the season goes on. The Vaqueros are a struggling team at .500 (6-6), and the Aggies are an elite, nationally-ranked team. The expectation at this point is that Texas A&M will run inferior teams off the court.
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Another good sign was the Aggies did it without Chennedy Carter, who missed the game with the flu. The other unheralded star, Ciera Johnson, had a huge game with 17 points, 17 rebounds, and two assists. That's a promising thing to have under your belt as the Aggies get into their tough SEC conference play. Forward Kayla Wells also had a great game, leading all scorers with 21 points, and Jada Walton added a career-high 14.
Perhaps the most impressive part of this victory was the Aggies activity on the boards. The Aggies out-rebounded the Vaqueros 48-17, and 11 of those boards came from the guard position.
The only area of concern was the defense on the Texas-Rio Grande Valley guards. Vaqueros guard Jameka Dowell scored 14 points, but had opportunities to score much more. This is a spot where Chennedy's presence was missed. Taller athletic guards still appear to be a slight issue for the Aggies to contain.
Aggies Head Coach Gary Blair has tried to make defense a point of emphasis this season, especially at the guard positions. They will have some film from this game to review and be better prepared going forward.
This is a great way to lead into their SEC stretch of their schedule. The Aggies will face No. 25 South Carolina on January 3 in Reed Arena and will be challenged in the backcourt with Te'a Cooper and Tyasha Harris.
