Basketball: Women's
Texas A&M - Penn State: What You Need to Know
Lady Lions (1-0) @ Texas A&M (0-1)
8 p.m. on FSN-Southwest/Fox College Sports - Atlantic
The No. 9 Lady Lions will be tested early in their non-conference schedule tonight when the No. 16 Lady Aggies look to rebound after their loss to then-No. 9 Louisville, 47-45. The Lions on the other hand are coming off a bitter victory against Howard, 72-61.
Sing it
“Here they come again to jack my style,” sings Nate Ruess in the song, Some Nights by fun.
It fits well as the Aggies and Lions will both look to steal the game's tempo. The Lions prefer a up-tempo, high-scoring, offensive game while the Aggies play a defensive grind of a style. Only one style can dominate? Who’s will it be?
Stat It
Texas A&M collected 42 rebounds in its season opener versus Louisville. Penn State is notoriously known for underperforming on the boards and will be tested by Aggies 6-foot-4 center Kelsey Bone, who collected 12 rebounds on 14 points against Louisville.
Are we in East Halls?
Texas A&M has seven true freshmen on its 15-woman roster. Guard Courtney Walker played the most minutes, out of the seven, in their season opener with 35 minutes.
What to Watch For
Look to see if junior guard Ariel Edwards bounces back after a lackluster season opener against Howard. Edwards played 23 minutes with five points, five rebounds, and made two out of eight shots.
“It’s a different mindset when you are a permanent starter,” head coach Coquese Washington said about Edwards. Washington went on to say that Edwards still needs to find her groove playing with the four other starters, who have played together much of their collegiate careers.
She said it
“I definitely wanted to get my teammates more involved in the Howard game, but I’m definitely going to focus on it [against Texas A&M],” senior guard Alex Bentley said.
Looking Forward
This is a home and home series against Texas A&M. So, Penn State will have a big non-conference opponent at home next year with the Lady Aggies.
Sixth Man
Washington noted the Aggies have a loyal, passionate fan base that will certainly bring the noise for Penn State.
Write It Down
While Penn State will get outrebounded on the boards, senior center Nikki Greene will step up in front of her family and friends in her homecoming back to Texas. Lions win 67-62.
Sound Off
What are your predictions for tonight’s game?