WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NO. 10 TEXAS A&M 79, UALR 56

Road shutdown: Blair’s Aggies disrupt Foley’s Trojans

UALR forward Teal Battle (right) looks for an opening for a shot as Texas A&M guard Kayla Wells defends Thursday at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. Battle finished with 12 points as UALR lost 79-56. More photos at arkansasonline.com/1211ualram/.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Justin Cunningham)
UALR forward Teal Battle (right) looks for an opening for a shot as Texas A&M guard Kayla Wells defends Thursday at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. Battle finished with 12 points as UALR lost 79-56. More photos at arkansasonline.com/1211ualram/. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Justin Cunningham)

It's possible that Texas A&M women's basketball Coach Gary Blair will never forgive UALR Coach Joe Foley for beating the Aggies in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

"No," Blair said. "No, no, no."

It sure seems that way.

Blair's 10th-ranked Aggies (5-0) defeated Foley's Trojans (2-2) for the fifth consecutive time since the NCAA matchup, 79-56 in front of 404 fans at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.

It was the second-closest victory margin for A&M over UALR in that span and the most points the Trojans have scored.

But Blair said he's still stinging from that 69-60 defeat to Foley's Trojans.

"When we compete, we compete," Blair said of he and Foley, who have combined to win 1,621 games. "On the golf course. ... That one there, when he beat me, that wasn't an upset. He just flat outplayed us."

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Blair said he always enjoys returning to Arkansas, where he coached the Razorbacks from 1993-2003, but he never expects to win by a blowout against a Foley-coached team, especially in Little Rock.

"I don't think we've ever come in here and beat them by that much or led them 15 at the half," Blair said. "Usually he's always hanging in at halftime, and we've been hurting them inside.

"We couldn't hurt them as much inside. We hurt them in transition."

UALR scored first, but the Trojans never led again after the opening minute.

A&M led 12-2 early, 21-12 after one quarter, but the Trojans were hanging around at 32-24 with 5:00 to go in the first half when the Aggies defense took control.

UALR went the final five minutes of the first half without a point, and trailed 39-24, and then went four more minutes in the third quarter without a basket.

It was those final five minutes of the first half that really hurt.

The Trojans were 0 of 5 from the field, 0 for 4 on free throws and committed 3 turnovers.

"We could have made the game tight, right there," Foley said, "and if you make the game tight they don't hit some of those threes and things. We were our own worst enemy there."

UALR outrebounded A&M 38-29, including 13-9 on the offensive end, but the presence of 6-4 post Ciera Johnson inside and the quick hands of 5-11 senior guard Aaliyah Wilson, who had 6 steals, stifled the Trojans.

The open shots and transition baskets the Trojans got Saturday in an 82-74 victory over Vanderbilt simply were not there this time.

Sun Belt Player of the Week Mayra Caicedo had 2 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals, but nothing came easy against an Aggies' man-to-man defense that forced 21 turnovers, 13 in the first half.

"We didn't give her a lot of straight-line drives to the basket," Blair said of how the Aggies slowed down the UALR point guard. "There was a lot of trees in there. She got in there and she had to dribble out, or pass out."

The Aggies' defense was suffocating inside and out, limiting the Trojans to 1 of 7 from behind the three-point line, but Foley said he was pleased with the way the Trojans got inside for shot attempts.

"If we hit some layups and free throws, we would have scored quite a few points," he said. "Defensively, we've got a ways to go. I was encouraged by what we did offensively. We've got four kids in double figures, so that's a good sign.

"If we can get in the lane, get layups, get fouled against a top 10 team, then we can do that against anybody."

Wilson led the Aggies with 13 points, and Texas A&M had 7 players score 7 or more.

UALR ended up 19 of 51 from the field (37.3%), but the 21 turnovers and missed layups were too much to overcome.

"I think we learned a lot tonight," Foley said. "Probably gained a little confidence out of this game."

UALR will need to keep building confidence with what lies ahead -- Western Kentucky on Sunday and the University of Arkansas a week from Saturday -- both games at the Stephens Center.

"It's a heck of a week," Foley said. "I don't think you'll see any other mid-major playing three SEC teams on their home floor.

State Div. I schedule

TODAY’S GAMES

MEN

Central Baptist College at Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN

Williams Baptist College at Arkansas State, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

MEN

UAPB at Tulane, 1 p.m.

Central Arkansas at Arkansas, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

WOMEN

Central Arkansas at Arkansas, 2 p.m.

W. Kentucky at UALR, 2 p.m.

Texas A&M forward N’dea Jones (right) knocks the ball loose from UALR’s Bre’Amber Scott (center) during Thursday’s game at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. The 10th-ranked Aggies won 79-56. More photos at arkansasonline.com/1211ualram/.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Justin Cunningham)
Texas A&M forward N’dea Jones (right) knocks the ball loose from UALR’s Bre’Amber Scott (center) during Thursday’s game at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock. The 10th-ranked Aggies won 79-56. More photos at arkansasonline.com/1211ualram/. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Justin Cunningham)

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