Reese's scoring, rebounding leads No. 7 LSU past Texas A&M
LSU guard Last-Tear Poa, left, and Texas A&M guard Mya Petticord, right, vie for control of the ball during an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP) Credit: AP/HILARY SCHEINUK
BATON ROUGE, La. — Angel Reese had a school-record 28 rebounds and 26 points as No. 7 LSU matched its best start to a season with its 15th win, beating Texas A&M 74-34 on Thursday night.
The unbeaten Tigers (15-0, 3-0 SEC) joined the 2002-03 team with a 15-win start. LSU, which leads Division I in scoring average and victory margin, also won its 12th game of the season by 25 points or more.
Reese, who missing her first four shots and went on to shoot 8 for 15 from the field, eclipsed the rebounding mark of 27 set twice by Maree Jackson in 1977 and 1978.
Guard Flau’jae Johnson added 18 points for the Tigers and forward Last Tear Poa had 10.
Texas A&M (5-8, 0-3 SEC), which lost its fourth straight, was led by Sydney Bowles' 11 points. Forward Aaliyah Petty and guard Emily Kindred each added seven points.
LSU had its worst scoring quarter of the season, leading 8-7 after the first period. The Tigers got their offense in gear and kept a defensive grip on the Aggies.
A&M didn’t get above the 20% field goal plateau until 3½ minutes remained in the third quarter. The Aggies finished shooting 21.2% (14 of 66) from the field, including 2 of 21 (9.5%) from 3-point range.
LSU forward Angel Reese (10) celebrates after making a 3-point basket against Texas A&M at the buzzer heading into halftime during an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP) Credit: AP/HILARY SCHEINUK
BIG PICTURE
LSU: Reese, a Maryland transfer who was named on the midseason top 25 watchlist for the John R. Wooden Award on Wednesday night, recorded her 15th consecutive double-double of the season. She accomplished that vs. the Aggies by halftime with 13 points and 17 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. She ended the first half with a steal leading to her running 23-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer. Her 17 first-half rebounds were more than any LSU player had in an entire game (besides Reese herself) since 2018-19.
Texas A&M: Because first-year Aggies head coach Joni Taylor brought with her from Georgia the nation’s seventh-best recruiting class, A&M has the second-youngest roster in the SEC. The inexperience is showing. After a 4-1 start, A&M has lost its last seven of eight games.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M's Kay Kay Green (4) drives around LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson (4) during an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Baton Rouge, La. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP) Credit: AP/HILARY SCHEINUK
LSU: Visits Kentucky on Sunday.
Texas A&M: At home vs. Ole Miss on Sunday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
