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Texas A&M wins first Big 12 women’s basketball title
By HOWARD RICHMANThe Kansas City Star
Chalk up a ninth win in a row for No. 4 seeded Texas A&M, 64-59 winners over No. 3 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 women’s championship game at Municipal Auditorium. It was the first conference title for the Aggies.
“For me, I knew we were going to do it before we came into the game,” Texas A&M’s Morenike Atunrase said. “That’s our mindset. That’s the mentality.”
Texas A&M guard Takia Starks, selected the tournament’s most outstanding player, said there’s no secret as to why the Aggies will enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country.
“We’ve been in big games before,” said Starks, who scored 10 points and had seven rebounds. “Chemistry is a big part of it.”
The outcome certainly was historic in a variety of ways. Texas A&M improved to 26-7, tying a school record for victories in a single season (1978-79).
Oklahoma State learned it takes more than three players to win a game against Texas A&M. Andrea Riley (28 points), Danielle Green (17) and Shaunte’ Smith (12) combined for 57 of the 59 points registered by the Cowgirls.
“Those three delivered, but we needed one more to win a championship,” Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke said.
But the setback gave him hope for what comes next. While Texas A&M lobbied for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Budke sensed how his team fared against the Aggies gives them optimism with the tournament looming.
“We took a team I think is a Final Four contender down to the wire, and if they’re a Final Four team, who knows how far we can go?” said Budke, whose Cowgirls are 25-7.
Texas A&M, which has won 13 of 14, never could bury Oklahoma State. The Aggies’ nine-point lead with 16 minutes remaining in the game vanished when Riley scored 10 straight points for the Cowgirls, the final two from the free throw line to put the Cowgirls in front 54-53 with 3 minutes, 7 seconds left.
The Aggies regained control, but Riley made them squirm when she drained a fallaway 30-foot three-pointer in front of her bench and sliced Texas A&M’s edge to one with 25.4 seconds to go. After the Aggies’ A’Quonesia Franklin canned two of her team-high 19 points on free throws with 22.9 left, Riley hoisted another long three-point try, but it lodged between the rim and backboard with 12.3 to go.
Possession arrow: Texas A&M. Franklin converted two more free throws with 10.2 to go, and that was that.
“I really thought it was going in, but some things don’t always go your way,” Riley said.
At least the Cowgirls had the ball in the right player’s hands.
“We just trust our best player to make the best play,” Budke said.
The bottom line, though, is that Riley’s shot didn’t work out.
“That’s why they’re the champs and we’re not,” Budke said. “They made a few plays down the stretch, and we did not.”
This series continues to produce thrillers. In the last five games between the schools, the total margin is 17 points. Texas A&M now has won four of the five.
Budke calls the Aggies one of the best jump-shooting teams in the country. He didn’t mention that Texas A&M’s defense has held its nine opponents in its current winning streak to less than 60 points.
Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, who like Budke has revived a program in the Big 12 South, has a pretty good idea why the Aggies are soaring. He’ll talk your ear off if you let him. Sometimes, though, Blair doesn’t have to say much to make his point.
“We have no fear,” Blair said.