April 23, 2024

Texas A&M beats Drake in NCAA opener

Drake’s Becca Hittner, right, grabs a rebound in front of Texas A&M’s Anriel Howard, left, during the first half of Friday’s first-round game in the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament in College Station, Texas. Drake, the MVC tournament champion which had a 21-game winning streak, lost to Texas A&M, 89-76. (AP Photo)

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Gary Blair and Texas A&M played to their strength to beat pesky Drake.

Freshman Chennedy Carter scored 26 points and the fourth-seeded Aggies beat 13th-seed Drake 89-76 on Friday in the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

“We can’t be Drake and get 30 assists in a ball game because we can create off the bounce as well as any team in the country,” said Blair, whose team scored 50 in the paint. “So that’s our strength. Our inside game is our strength.”

Blair’s Aggies used full-court pressure to move comfortably in front in the second quarter, but the Aggie coach had no interest in doing that for too long either.

“What worked in the second half?” Blair asked and answered. “We ran set plays instead of transition. We got 57 points in the first. I was trying to shorten the game to save legs, to make them play defense a little bit longer.”

Khaalia Hillsman added 22 to help send the Aggies to the second round against DePaul. Carter, who had 19 in the opening half, had a complete game. She also had 11 assists, five rebounds and six steals. Some of those steals were made as she became A&M’s last line of defense.

Carter, who has been limited at times this season by foul trouble, did not pick up a personal foul. A&M only had six as a team. Drake shot three free throws in the game.

“We kind of moved the ball a little bit,” said Carter. “We had a lot of open and easy shots, and everybody finished out there tonight.”

A&M had an answer for every comeback try by Drake. Danni Williams hit a 3-pointer with 5:44 left to put the Aggies back into a 15-point lead.

Drake, which had 29 assists in the game, got as close as 85-76 when Maddy Dean hit a runner in the lane, but A&M moved down court and passed to Hillsman, who scored easily.

Sara Rhine scored 21 for Drake (26-8) and had a nearly perfect offensive day. She hit 10-of-11 from the field and made her only free throw. Becca Hittner had 19 for Drake (26-8).

The Aggies (25-9) broke the game open in the second quarter, building a 57-42 halftime edge. A&M outshot the Bulldogs from 3-point range in the opening half, with Carter and Williams each hitting three of four. Williams hit four of seven 3-pointers overall and scored 18.

Drake led 28-26 after a fast-paced first quarter where the Bulldogs hit 12-of-17 from the floor. Things changed in the second quarter as Carter scored 12 of her points and A&M began to build a big edge.

“We didn’t move,” said Drake coach Jennie Baranczyk, who felt her team passed up open shots worrying about A&M’s quickness. “We passed a lot around the perimeter. They upped their pressure and that’s when we’re at our best. When people do that, we can back cut out of it or we can start to read screens better. And we stopped doing that. We just started passing around the basket.”

Hillsman, who was weary after the run-and-gun opening to the game, played 13 first-half minutes, but A&M’s inside game was efficient. For the game, she made 10 of her 14 shots. Anriel Howard also contributed inside with some late drives to keep A&M’s lead in double digits. Howard finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Texas A&M’s win halted a 21-game winning streak by Drake.

Rhine only missed once on an active day. The 6-foot-1 sophomore also grabbed 10 rebounds for Missouri Valley Conference champion Drake.