Everything Sydney Bowles, Kay Kay Green & Joni Taylor had to say after Texas A&M’s loss vs. Alabama
The Texas A&M women’s basketball team mounted a vigorous comeback against Alabama on Sunday but ultimately lost 78-71.
After the game, head coach Joni Taylor and guards, senior Kay Kay Green & sophomore Sydney Bowles, spoke to the media to share their thoughts on the regular season finale.
The Crimson Tide led 22-21 after a tight first 10 minutes of action but extended their lead to 43-31 at halftime.
“They got to the line nine times. We didn’t get there at all and gave up four 3s. We can’t give a team what they want, and they want to shoot 3s, get to the line and play in transition,” Taylor said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of stopping them in transition. We gave them too many looks in the first half and we weren’t getting to the free-throw line. It’s a lack of aggression on our part and we’ve got to be more aggressive when we do post up. We got the ball inside, we did some good stuff. We just don’t do it consistently enough.”
Green and fellow guards, Aicha Coulibaly & Sahara Jones, were honored pregame on Senior Day.
“I thought they played well,” Taylor recalled. “I thought MJ stepped into that starting role and gave us great energy. I thought she was really locked in defensively and did some really good things for us. Obviously, Sahara always comes out and plays really hard. Kay Kay played really hard. So those were normal starters. MJ is the only one who stepped into that lineup for the first time and I thought she responded. When you have your senior day, any senior, but especially one that normally doesn’t start, your emotions can either get the best of you or you can control your emotions. And I thought they did a good job in that area.”
The Aggies went on a 22-4 run to erase a 14-point deficit but were outscored 19-8 in the final five minutes.
“One thing that they did really well, and we did not, was rebounding. They outrebounded us by double-digits. And that was one thing that came down specifically to the end,” Bowles said. “That kind of killed us because we were there on drives and then we just didn’t get a box out. They got a lot of easy bunnies at the basket and that’s something we definitely have to clean up. That’s something that will really help us win.”
Green shared gratitude for the time she spent in College Station.
“I’ve been here for four years, and it’s been bittersweet. I was able to play for two great coaches in coach Blair and Joni. The love and support around here is what I’ll miss the most,” Green explained. “The 12th Man is very special to me because they welcomed a kid from Chicago with open arms. I’m sad that my time is coming to an end here, but I feel like I had a great four years, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else.”
Texas A&M will play Mississippi State (21-10, 8-8) on Thursday at 11 a.m. CT in the second round of the SEC Tournament from Greenville, South Carolina.
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