Mike Siroky’s SEC Report: still Open Down the Stretch

By Mike Siroky

Even teams in the best conference in women’s basketball – the Southeastern – must meet NCAA criteria for inclusion in the eliminations.

We have been writing for years that every SEC Team that hits 20 wins has gotten in, even some with 19.

This league is so tough that a three-game win streak is the second longest active.

Another national marker is how you play your final five games if the season that started Sunday.

It is a first reality check for seniors, who face the finite number of games left in their young lives.

They have been playing serious ball more than a decade, in a special bunker for the past four years. No matter what happens in the elimination games, this part of their lives is coming to an end, most all of them also graduating from university.

It is a magnificent inevitable change in their lives, leaving behind the group with whom  you have worked out, sweated, bled and committed.

In the SEC, there is one possible candidate for national Player of The Year, the first step of that which will be  winning the conference award.

Oh, the national All-American positions will be filled, as will the conference honors. It is a shallow pool from which to pick.

In others part of the country, there will be pushed some other Player of the Year. UConn, for instance, always has at least one and has that again.

But, as in the SEC, there are not a lot of national prohibitive favorite individuals or teams.

Except for Notre Dame fans, who picked the Irish last season? The other Final Four entries were all more possible, yet N.D. won.

The individual votes are cast before the NCAA run. A’ja Wilson won last year and her team didn’t make it out of Regional semifinals.

So every team will have a Senior Night. On some home courts, the honorees come off the bench. Some coaches will unknowingly coach a final time on campus. Their finale comes not before cheerleaders and confetti, but in a quiet moment in an athletic director’s office.

It says here there will be at least one dismissal with murmurs in the wind of another voluntarily stepping out.

Players will move on to life as well. Last season, one very good player went on to medical school. That’s cool.

Only the best player in the league will be a lock for the WNBA. Others may be drafted but won’t make it.

 But even this year’s SEC star will have to go overseas to make real money. She knows that already and has her passport ready.

Other players will fill spots internationally on those hundreds of teams who need an American player, a very short shelf life.

With a few to go, South Carolina has been the only unbeaten at home and the only other real Sweet 16 threat. Maybe one other team can make it.

Anyone who wins all their home games wins conference. South Carolina can still do it. It also makes the top seed in an NCAA Regional in doubt because only State can do that. 

The last game of the season is State at South Carolina. State won that matchup at home. SC gets the chance in the final game of the season .

If seven get entry tickets, there is only one with national impact.

Tennessee remains among those teams hanging in, winning a final five at Missouri, a team they needed to beat in order to reach 19 before the NCAA draw.

  They also came from behind at home to best Auburn, a team ahead of them in the league standing.

 There is little wiggle room left, with the next two games still against Texas A&M and South Carolina. A signature win is needed beyond having beat No. 15 Texas early.

  Tennessee winning at home is now an upset. As now charted, even if they won a first game in the league tournament, the quarterfinal is against Mississippi State.

Here’s how the league’s ranked teams in the AP Top 22 did in the past week.

No. 6 Mississippi State (23-2)

Missouri visited with still a chance to win conference. They left with the 76-67 upset and 19th win. They earned a spot in the Top 25 after not being ranked but didn’t get it this week in AP.. It is tough to defend a title.

The ’Dawgs posted a five-point advantage after one quarter, though senior forward Anriel Howard had two fouls after hitting 4-of-5 from the field.

That brought in sophomore Bre’Amber Scott. Mizzou hung tough, keeping the deficit at one with an 11-7 start of the second quarter and made it a one-point game at the break. State has won every game it led at the half.

Howard had 11. McCowan had seven with six rebounds.

 Sophomore Andra Ezpinoza-Hunter is the only non-senior starter. She also scored seven. Sophie Cunningham of Missouri had three 3s and had scored 13. The Tigers had missed nine free throws which is more than State was awarded.

Cunningham has this ability to just aggravate opponents with gymnastic-like flops. She was at it again as she drew a fourth foul on Anriel Howard with the scored tied in the third.

State had to finally dig deep with a home challenger and the one-game lead in conference. Vic Schaefer was on full alert. The crowd of 7,545, not even a sellout, begged for better.

Missouri was shooting 63 percent in the second half when the Tigers hit their 10th 3 and had possession with a four-point lead.

 Which is how this is the best league in America. 

State has only been outscored in the paint twice and lost both. They have only trailed starting the fourth quarter twice and lost both.

Howard finally fouled out, behind by three with 90 seconds left. Her 21 led State. But you have to be in it to win it.

Cunningham traveled running underneath. McCowan blew the possession by elbowing on an offensive foul. 

There were 46 seconds left. 

State was hitting 39 percent from the floor, 11 below their season average. 

Missouri needed to create a foul on State. 

Instead Cierra Porter hit her only basket of the night, a 3, and it was ballgame, the first win for Missouri here, the highest ranked team they have ever beaten.

The defense had crumbled as well. There were no answers. 

Cunningham had 24 with four 3s, solidifying the rumors she is all-conference rabble. State had 17 turnovers. They scored 23 below their average or was it the defense.

Schaefer said he blew it, but he said the same after the National Championship loss at the buzzer.

“We had long talks in the locker room,” said Cunningham. “We’re not going to let anyone stop us. It’s awesome.  This train is rolling. It’s amazing. Let people doubt us. That motivates us.”

It must be noted the train rolled home and stalled out against a mediocre Tennessee team.

McCowan barely doubled, 13 points and 12 rebounds.

“I felt like, all night, I was really fighting the heart thing — playing hard, playing with energy,” Schaefer said.  “We got out-toughed and out-hustled just about every loose ball. You know, it was just one of those nights.

“We really struggled guarding off the bounce tonight. It was probably our worst defensive effort of the year, by far. You’re going to lose the horse game against Missouri. You’re going to lose the horse game in the SEC.

“ For us, we let them have a lot of open shots. This is probably the worst we’ve defended Missouri, even when we were 20-0. We went in there and got beat.

 “That wasn’t near as bad as, I think, tonight. I mean, we gave up 75 points tonight, y’all. That says a lot about where our focus was, where our energy was. Again, buck stops here. It’s my fault. Obviously, I didn’t have them ready to play, and that’s my job.

“At the end of the day, we’ve talked about how different we are, unique. In that regard, I have to be able to navigate that as a head coach — make sure nights like tonight don’t happen. I think that’s the hard part for me. 

“I take great pride when I go into those games where we’re the higher ranked team. I don’t typically lose those games. You know what, I lost one tonight, and I’m going to wear it.

“To have 10 turnovers between those two is not very characteristic. At the same time, it is a lack of focus and a lack of commitment to taking care of the ball. We should not have ten turnovers between those two seniors. 

“In one game, two games, or three games. Jazzmun (Holmes) is in here because she is accountable just like I am. She is in here when we win. She knows at point guard that it is who we are. 

“We are both the point guard of our team. Jazzmun having six turnovers is not acceptable. I felt like our whole team had a lack of focus. We had it in shootaround. I noticed it in shootaround. You know, we have got some things happening. Obviously tonight it showed."

Holmes said, “I don’t think we weren’t executing, I think it was being focused, for us. Like coach said, we weren’t very focused coming out so I guess that will be a focal point for us the rest of the week.”

Texas A&M was supposed to be more of a challenge and State now had angry motivation.

Four senior starters vs. four sophomore starters played out as expected. There was some drama in between.

The Aggies were searching for the magic 20th win and had taken eight of their last nine games.

“It’s an opportunity, and that’s all we can ask for,” said Texas A&M coach Gary Blair. “We stand a good chance if our kids play with the same fight that they had against LSU, because we’re at home, where our fans never give up on us.”

The Aggies  are in the conversation as one of the 16 hosts for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

 Mississippi State about hit its average, all season outscoring opponents by an average of 94.5 to 55.1 per game for a 39.4 margin.

State has been in the AP poll 89 straight weeks, including 54 weeks in a row in the Top 10.

 It started rough for the ’Dawgs. McCowan had two fouls and no baskets early and basically sat out the half.

Jordan Danberry went crashing to the court, a full body slam but recovered. She was needed.

A&M hit 57 percent in the quarter, 41 percent for the game.

The only non-senior starter, Espinoza-Hunter started long-range bombs.

Both coaches were questing the refs’ definition of frontline fouls. It was being called close.

Before the half was out, Schaefer joined Blair in going jacket-less. Animation was at an all-time high. 

He was working hard to not lose a consecutive game, even if it was against the man who brought him into the elite coaching ranks. They mirrored each other on this Sunday in their sanctuaries, preaching old-school religion to the choirs.

A&M had the initial oomph, pushing to four-point leads without McCowan, State rallied and took the lead behind Danberry and Howard.

 Another Espinzoa-Hunter 3 made it a four-point lead at the quarter.

Defense ruled. State slowly added on, the difference in bench play apparent.

 A&M doesn’t have one. 

The lead grew ro eight, shrunk in half again.

Danberry fed Zion Campbell and it was back to seven, McCowan had been allowed back in. She hit two free throws to make the half 43-36.

With 5:58 to go in the third, Espinoza-Hunter had 18, all 3s,  and McCowan two.

But that’s what a league leader does, adjust to the particulars of the game.

Then both McCowan and Carter got a third foul, mutual technicals, battering each other for a loose ball and trash talking on top of it. 

McCowan did get the free throws and sat down. 

Carter had 22 points at the time. She had to stay in, especially without McCowan defending.

Howard hit her double/double as part of the 18-8 run, 12 rebounds with 15 points. 

It was 61-46, State.

McCowan returned to settle the defense even more. It was 70-52 after three.

Still plenty of time, but no real inclination by A&M to rally. 

McCowan had nine rebounds, Howard nine and the boards difference was 39-27.

The clock was slipping away on the home team’s fourth league loss, especially as State started the fourth on a 10-2 run. McCowan had half of those points.

Then home team disaster. 

Carter mouthed off to an official, received a second technical and was ousted with under six minutes to go and the deficit 19. 

She smashed over a curtain wall as she entered the tunnel leaving the court. The State bench scored 17, the A&M reserves three.

N’dea Jones hurt herself landing under the basket. 

Another A&M extrication. 

State was threatening to hit 100 again, if they weren’t mostly interested in burning clock and rotating in players.

 Schaefer wasn’t about to let McCowan foul out. She hit a double/double, 10 points and 12 rebounds, her 80th game in double points, in 12 minutes. 

Schaefer was also able to pull Howard to applause, as she had played three seasons before this in Aggieland.

Espinoza-Hunter had seven 3s at the end, a career-high 24 points. Howard had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Danberry had 16 points with four assists. 

They won rebounds by 15. The final was 92-64.

The defense showed A&M’s Ciera Johnson entered with eight straight double-figure games, averaging 13.5. But she was held to three.

Ciera Johnson entered with eight straight double-figure games, averaging 13.5. But she was held to three. 

Kayla Wells averaged 16.9 in her past seven games. She scored six less. They drew 5,926.

Blair is disappointed in the lack of consistency.

“I thought we were very ready to play this ball game,” he said.

“I thought you could see how well we played in the first quarter and we were doing things. We got them into a little foul trouble which I thought we could. Every point counts in a ball game. Second quarter has been our Achilles' Heel.

“We also caught them after coming back from a home loss and now Tennessee is going to catch us with a home loss. It will just be up to how we respond.

“Mississippi State responded how they should have. I think they are one of the top four teams in the country.

“Our turnovers were 17 by the starting three guards. We have got to do a better job of taking over. We have not done a good job all year rebounding with our guards. That is a lot of pressure on Ciera and N'dea to continuously take care of the boards against a Top 5 team.

“Chennedy has some good shots in the first quarter. Mississippi State is known for defense-first, offense-second. That seemed to be reversed today. Their offense seemed better than their defense, but they are good on both fronts.

“ I think a lot of it was some missed free throws. We had a couple of fast break opportunities that would have given us momentum. We continuously have to work on half-court for the perfect pass for Chennedy to go off. We need to have balance in there.”

He did not address the emotional technical. 

Aggie Shambria Washington said, “We lost it in the third quarter defensively. It just wasn't working. We were going back-and-forth trying to trade buckets. We gave them momentum; they are a great team and they took in the third quarter.”

She said they lost Espinoza-Hunter.

“Communication. We couldn't find her. We talked about it all week in practice. That is all on me because I am at the top of the key. Just communicating better on where the shooter is and what defense we are in.”

 Texas A&M Center Ciera Johnson said, “They have a 6-7 post player. Their goal was to get her at the paint and work N'dea in this inside.”

 Schaefer said it’s a team win.

“I couldn't ask more of them. I think they responded today after not playing well on Thursday and having a team not play well.

“We talked about, it's how you respond when things like that happen. I told them that everyone would be paying attention today to see how they responded. 

“You are playing a Top 25 team on the road, well-coached and probably as hot as any team in the league. They won eight of their last nine, they needed to come in and play well. It's a good win on the road against a really good team."

 Espinoza-Hunter took what was available.

“It definitely goes to my teammates,” she said. “Their confidence in myself and coach’s confidence, it helps my confidence a lot. There are times when I miss a shot and I will put my head down, I look at Jazzmun or Anriel Howard and they will say ‘You got it, you’re good’ and give me that little boost. So really I thank them, because their confidence in me helps my confidence a lot.”

 Howard was determined to improve in-game.

“It was a refocus,” she said. “I had a couple turnovers from trying to force shots. I was trying my counter-moves but I didn't have my feet right, I kept traveling. So coach took me out, and wanted me to regroup in the second half.

“ And I got together took a breath and just let the game come to me.”

State is favored by a lot in the next three. The just-ended 26-game SEC win streak is fifth-best in conference. 

Tennessee had 44 from 1991-96.

The loss cost them one spot in the national rankings.

Howard is among 10 finalists for the Katrina McClain Award, honoring power forwards. McCowan is one of 10 finalists for the national Lisa Leslie Award.

No. 13 South Carolina (17-6)

South Carolina Went to UConn and solidified it is not an elite team this season. But by playing the Huskies in the regular season they avoid being in their NCAA Regional. 

They obviously are a Sweet 16 team, though, as discussed, their NCAA games will all be on the road.

 Which Regional they land in will have a true No. 1 seed, Louisville, Baylor or maybe a Pac 12 representative. 

If Mississippi State has risen to a No. 1, then SC’s destination becomes more obvious.

They started  at their fast pace at UConn, hitting 10 of the first 11 shots and leading by 10. 

Four of the five starters scored. 

UConn hit seven straight. Senior forward Napheesa Collier was hot. She completed an old-fashioned basket and one to cut the lead to 24-23.

At that point, Alexis Jennings removed herself from the floor and so did Bianca Cuevas-Moore. 

That let in the two superb freshmen, Victaria Saxton and Destanni Harrison.  Each had scored 15 in the previous two games.

 The visitors led by four at the quarter break.

Neither side would yield. Runs were answered by runs. Geno Auriemma stuck with his precise starters. With three minutes left in the half, they had committed one foul.

The other UConn senior forward, Katie Lou Samuelson passed some All-American legends in this game for career scoring, Rebecca Lobo just the latest. 

Collier was 7-of-10 from the floor for 15 points at the half. Samuelson scored 10.

South Carolina's Tyasha Harris and UConn's Crystal Dangerfield are two of the top point guards in the nation, even if SC does start three point guards, by adding Te’a Cooper and Cuevas-Moore. 

Harris scored 11 in the half, but all five starters scored. Nothing was yet decided.

Whatever Auriemma said at halftime worked. 

The Huskies opened a 10-point lead in the third. Collier  was 10-of-14 from the floor for 21, already doubled with 11 rebounds and 4:26 left in the third quarter.

SC’s bench rookies had contributed nothing. 

Welcome to the big time. 

SC was in danger of having the deadly single-digit quarter but escaped at 29-12. The nation’s longest home winning streak was not threatened.

Four UConn starters hit double figures, they led by 21 and Dawn Staley was out of answers. 

The only thing left for the Huskies was to hit 100.  Two Samuelson free throws got it to 97. Auriemma had pulled the rest of the offense, then Katie Lou.

It ended with SC air balls, 97-79. Collier scored 31. Samuelson scored 29. They are the highest-scoring duo in NCAA history. Williams had 19. 

They shot better than 60 percent in the second half. They outscored SC 29-12 in the paint.

“Our defense was really, really good,” said Auriemma. “They couldn’t shoot the ball the way they wanted to. I could care less where we are in the NCAA draw. Whether we’re a 5 or 25, we’ll deal with it.”

Collier said, “I am proud of how we all fought today. We are trying to get better. We finally played well together. It’s about the defense.”

UConn has no tough games left. The Huskies have won all eight of the series, including six in the Staley era. They drew 11,740 for the wipeout.

“I think we’re getting better every game that we play,” Cuevas-Moore said. “It’s just the mental lapses that we have.”

Staley said the start was fine but they could not maintain.

“You gotta drive on UConn,” Staley said. “You gotta put them back on their heels and expect not many fouls called. You gotta play through physical contact, gotta play through attacking the paint.”

“We didn’t hit shots. We hit shots in the first two quarters, and when you’re able to do that, you gotta keep it close with them. You’re not coming back from a big lead in this building. They just come at you in waves. I thought we handled it in the first half,” Staley said. “In the second half, we came up a little short.”

Compounding the loss were travel problems which stopped SC from returning to campus until after dawn. That eliminated a workout day.

So they were home for Georgia and a rebound game.

  SC is still second in conference, the lone loss at Mississippi State. Georgia will not win 20 this season and seems once again NIT-bound.

SC has won 10 straight in the series. 

When Andy Landers was in charge, they won 33 of 40. Georgia was on a two-game winning streak, including 95 points in the previous game, its highest score in seven seasons. 

Senior forward Caliya Robinson has recorded double/doubles in back-to-back games.

Georgia redshirt-junior point guard Taja Cole is the SEC assist leader, 6.8 per game.

 Georgia sophomore guard Gabby Connally scored 21 with eight assists in a road win, the first Lady Bulldog since ’Dawg Legend Coco Miller against South Carolina in 2001 to score at least 20 points and total eight assists or more in an SEC road game.

 Sophomore guard Que Morrison, started 32 of Georgia’s 33 games during her freshman year then wrenched a knee, is back in the starting lineup for a fifth game. 

This is a team with a future upside, but not so much now. 

Still, Georgia started strongly and Staley pulled all five starters, producing a 9-2 run and an 11-7 lead.

 She was beating Georgia’s best with her second squad.

 The starting lineup -- Cuevas-Moore, Cooper, Harris, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Jennings – had been 6-1 in league play. That’s the group she pulled. 

Cuevas-Moore and Cooper got the message with seventh and eighth most game minutes.

Georgia stayed with their starters.

Freshman Henderson led with eight, a 10-point swing which had the Gamecocks up by five at the quarter. 

When the starters went back to work, Jennings quickly scored seven, with two blocks and some rebounds.

The reserves’ lead held. It was 29-25 at half.

 No 90-point out tonight. Robinson had scored four.

SC continued to cruise by dictating pace with superior guard play. No great space, just playing their game, Henderson still the leading scorer even if no one else stepped up.

SC remained calm and rebuffed all comeback attempts. Georgia needs to win out to make the post-season and they failed here, 65-57.

Henderson had 13, 5-of-6 at the line, four assists, always on the attack. 

SC won rebounds by 13.  Saxton had six, Herbert Harrigan seven. 

It did end an eight game conference streak with at least 70 points. But they drew a league-best 11,044.

One of the key reserves was senior Doniyah Cliney, 6-of-8 from the floor, 3-of-3 from the line.

"Doniyah brought experience,” said Staley.

“ She picked and chose some spots where she was aggressive offensively. She rebounded the basketball for us and she was solid defensively. That's all we want. We don't want anybody just having to think they have to play spectacular basketball.

“We have to have players that make basketball plays. Shoot when you're open. Pass when you're not. Extra possessions - rebound the basketball. It's very simple."

The road trip to Florida gave SC the chance to remain tied for first.

The win allowed Staley to move into a tie for eighth in league coaching  history. It marks eight straight seasons of double-figure SEC wins for the Gamecocks.

Part of the success is depth; the bench has supplied a best in conference 43.3 points in the previous three SEC games.

At Florida was no problem, 96-77. They doubled the ’Gators in the second quarter, 30-15, Henderson scoring a dozen.

Jennings scored her season best 22, including 17 in the third, 6-of-6 from the floor; Cuevas Moore 19 with three 3s; Henderson 18 with three 3s, 6-of-8 from the floor. 

Henderson has replaced senior Harris as the third option. Cooper was sick and missing and MIA. Cliney instead started.

 The bench scored 25. 

The team had six steals and 17 assists, a season high 10 assists by Harris, off the bench for her first double of the season with 11 points.

Somehow, two wins slipped them two back in the national rankings.

Kentucky now comes in for a challenge at who is No. 2 in conference, then at Tennessee, which used to be a show.

Looking ahead: SC has been given permission to host first-round games – if it is among the NCAA top 16 seeds --  still in the Carolinas, but at Charlotte, N.C. 

This appeal allows fans to make travel plans and buy tickets. 

The insulting selection of Greensboro for the league tournament means the Gamecocks will have driving distance to start the post-season.

Looking way ahead: Signee Zia Cooke is a semifinalist for the Naismith High School Player of the Year. She has already won Gold on the Under 16 and Under 18 national teams. A’ja Wilson is a previous winner.

Cooper and Harris are on to the Midseason Watch List for the 2019 Dawn Staley Award. The award is presented to the most outstanding collegiate guard in women’s basketball.

No. 16 Kentucky (21-5)

At Alabama, the start was dismally slow but UK rallied to take a 33-29 halftime edge. Freshman guard Rhyne Howard led the offensive charge as usual, with a dozen points into the second half. 

The Kats had steadied the game and maintained a six-point edge.

Senior forward Maci Morris suddenly showed up with 12 points. 

Alabama was only winning in rebounds, 25-10. No matter; the Kats had but six turnovers. They got 30 points off 24 turnovers.

Kentucky rocked steady, obviously capturing its 20th win, the ninth for coach Matthew Mitchell.

  A 19-6 third-quarter domination points.

 Alabama toward the NIT and maybe a new coach. In the 88-53 win, Howard scored 23 with four 3s. Morris scored 17. They attracted 2,102 fans.

“We’d struggled so mightily in the first few minutes, I thought that was a big psychological and emotional lift for us,” said Mitchell of Morris’ play.

“She’s just gotten really good at that real tough attack, running bank shot.”

Morris said, “We’ve emphasized defense all year. To have everybody getting up in the passing lanes and getting steals is huge for us.”

Arkansas is one of the lower level teams that have plateaued. It is important for UK to keep such a team at bay. They are undersized. They have won 16 but are unlikely to get to 20 after losing four straight. 

UK had the longest league winning streak three.

Arkansas is averaging 73 per game this season while allowing 68 points per game. Chelsea Dungee is the leading scorer for Arkansas. Running mate Malica Monk, at 5-4, is averaging 13.8 game with 80 assists and 36 steals. Alexis Tolefree has hit a team-best 50 3s and is averaging 9.7 points per game.

Kentucky had won nine straight in the series. Arkansas’ last win was Jan. 6, 2011 in Fayetteville.

It took a last-second shot to escape, 61-59.

Howard (who else) hit a 15-foot jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining.

With 2:10 left, Morris knocked down two free throws, giving the Cats a 57-53 edge. But Dungee scored on the other end, cutting the lead to 57-55 with 1:55 left. 

Kentucky missed two shots, but got two offensive rebounds from the diminutive Razorbacks before Howard converted a putback, making it 59-55 with 65 seconds to play.

Dungee then hit one of two at the line, cutting the lead to 59-56. 

Kentucky had chances to put the game away, but the Cats missed four straight at the line before Arkansas' Raven Northcross-Baker hit a 3 from the corner to tie it at 59 with 22 seconds left.

Mitchell called play, Howard ran the clock before driving into the lane and hitting the winning jumper.

Howard finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while senior Taylor Murray scored 16 and grabbed seven rebounds. They drew 5,680.

Arkansas is still in play for an NCAA invite and got a game-high 20 points from Dungee.

“Every win this time of the year is an awesome win,” Mitchell said. “We just found a way to make more plays. It was awesome to do that and get another victory in the Southeastern Conference. They're very hard to come by.”

 The final play was planning and luck, he said.

“It's a read there and she did a nice job. So with Maci), they jammed the handoff for her flash. Maci was going to come off the handoff and try to get a layup, if not, if the ball’s there or if they blow that up then we want it in Rhyne’s hands.

“So, we wanted it in one of their hands at the end. 

“Arkansas really did great on Maci, jammed up the handoff so she couldn’t make the handoff. But a lot of times, a player might panic and give it up, but she kept her poise and either way we wanted the last shot. 

“We wanted no screens, we wanted to spread the floor, see if we can get somebody, either one-on-one or if somebody helped off we could kick it. We wanted the last shot and she timed it absolutely perfectly.”

They adjusted for Dungee. 

“We were just having a tough time with them and I thought we would before the game, they are just so well- coached and so dynamic and they just played fearlessly with the ball, really drove hard, so we tried to mix in more 2-3 zone to try to close some of the gaps and force some outside shots and limit the free throws.

“ We were very fortunate that they missed some shots around the perimeter but we were having a mighty tough time there in the second quarter guarding them.”

He knows Howard is special.

"She's extremely gifted and showed great poise for a freshman, didn't panic, didn't force it, stayed patient until the end and had the guts to take the last shot, impressive,” Mitchell said. “The thing  I’m most happy about with her not only the big shot that she made, but seven offensive boards, seven defensive boards in a game when we needed to have it. 

“It’s just a complete performance and obviously it would have been hard without her. She's a great teammate, teammates love her, coaches love her and she loves everybody else so it's really awesome having her here and she's making a great contribution.”

Morris said it is simple on why the Kats use Howard, "Because people can't guard Rhyne.”

Howard said, “It was originally a play for Maci and then they broke it up, so I just took it myself.”

 “It’s a great way to end it. The crowd was loving it so that just kind of pushed us to another level to get the win.

“I just have a lot of confidence in my play, so I just try not to let anything affect me."

 Just as we have said the Teaira McCowan Award this season has been designated as league Player of the Year so has the Rhyne Howard Award been recast for Freshman of the Year after she took an unprecedented sixth weekly honor.

 No one else is to be considered, like last season when Chennedy Carter of A&M was undisputed. 

Maci Morris is among the final 10 on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 watch list, a honor for forwards.

UK has three of its final four at home. They moved up a spot in the national rankings.

No. 21Texas A&M (19-6)

With a week off, they took on LSU before the Mississippi State challenge. This was a chance to eliminate LSU from a national imprint.

 The suspicious wonks at ESPN have LSU in the national tournament with 14 wins but not Tennessee with 15.

A&M’s game plan is simple: Start and mostly play five sophomore starters and wait for the best of those, Chennedy Carter, to wake up.

It was an even start, Carter still not engaged, and LSU held a six-point edge as halftime approached.

 It was time for Gary Blair to make another one of those speeches. 

LSU wasn’t listening , only losing two points off the lead in the third. LSU sophomore guard Kahlya Pointer had 19. 

Carter was one of two Aggies with 13, but just six in the second half.

A&M put on a nice 11-2 run to claim a three-point margin with three minutes left. Carter was 5-of-16 and not near her average.

 She made a jumper to keep the lead at three then missed the first half of a one-plus to not extend it with a minute to go and the 3,704 home crowd imploring her for more. 

A&M got the rebound off the miss.

A&M had its 19th win. Strongly third in the league with five to go.

 LSU had a foul to give.

 Kayla Wells fed Cierra Johnson off the inbound, 58-53. Not enough time left for the Ben-Gals.

 LSU missed two jumpers and Johnson threw in a block. Jada Walton got the rebound off the second miss. A&M had the ball with eight seconds left, was fouled with five left. Wells made one of two free throws. An uncontested jumper at the buzzer made it 59-55.

Wells scored 16. N’dea Jones had 15 rebounds, 12 defensive. A&M has no bench. Just two points this time.

“We have been a second half team at home all year,” Blair said.

“ LSU played so well in the first half. Their guards were controlling, and they were not turning over. I thought we did a pretty good job defensively on their four and five. I thought we also did a good job near the end of the game by not letting Pointer get all the touches.

“She had a great first half, but I think we did a good job in holding her in the second half. First half, we just got killed on the boards. 

“The ball bounced our way at the end, and that was because out half-court defense was good. We had to work hard.  That was the fifth time we played them in thirteen months and that is how even both teams are. Another great crowd tonight and I thought that they stayed with us.

 “All of Wells’ baskets at half were layups, but we were able to get her that three in the corner that she had to have. That got her going a little bit, but we didn’t think they would play us as much man as they did.

 “Our crowd wouldn’t give up on us, and that says a lot about this crowd. We kept fighting and I thought when we got it to four at the end of the quarter was huge.

“ It was just scratch-and-claw in the fourth quarter. Our kids have had this too many times. We have been on the other end where we have lost 10-point leads, four times in conference play. We just refused to be denied in that tough situation.”

Carter said, “Honestly, I think it was just effort. We all knew who we were playing for and our coaches emphasized that we need to rebound the ball and get some defensive stops.

“That’s exactly what we did out there. We didn’t change anything we just played harder and added a little grit to us. We wanted to win this game, and not just for ourselves, but for everybody on the back of (our) jerseys.

“So it was just playing harder. We were making defensive mistakes. We were not where we were supposed to be. We just had to refocus and lock in. Coach made a great adjustment, told us where we need to be, and that’s what we went out and did.

 “It’s different because they play zone and it’s active. Tonight they put two on me, and it’s just different. It’s not really the SEC (style), because the SEC is tough man defense. I guess LSU is just a little different, but we stayed within our game plan and we finished the game out strong.

“That’s all that matters for me. I play hard for my sisters, and they play hard for me and we get wins. No knock to them; they’re a great defensive team. They do a lot of great things defensively. I like playing against them, they make is tougher, stronger, and better players overall. So I like playing against them.”

Wells said, “They were beating us on the boards. They were beating us by six boards, and I feel like that’s a game-changer.

“They were getting extra possessions that we weren’t. We talked about that in the practice before, how that’s what we needed. That’s why we lost against Missouri.  We need those extra possessions, because every possession matters. We missed some shots early that we knew that we could make. So we came back out and shot with confidence. We knew that we were playing for the people on the backs of our jerseys. So we had to make something happen.”

 She did hit a clutch 3 in the second half.

“That was just a read. Chennedy and I have been playing together long enough so that we know where we like the ball, so she gave me a good pass and I made the shot. That was a game changer.”

LSU coach Nikki Fargas said the late offensive failures would be hard to forget, or was it the defensive struggles.

“It definitely took a turn for us offensively,” she said. “We had a lot of good looks inside, and we did a good job getting on the offensive glass. We didn’t convert on a lot of those offensive rebounds that we needed to.

“The ball just didn’t bounce our way down the stretch. I thought that we were playing pretty efficient offensively, but scoring only four baskets in one quarter against a team like Texas A&M, we knew they were going to make a run, and we never made our own run. That was the difference in the game.

“Our defensive goal is to hold our opponents under 55 points. I felt like our defense did what it needed to do to get us to win.

“I’m really going to fault our lack on offensive execution in the fourth quarter. Chennedy Carter is a great basketball player, she can get great looks at any time. You have to scheme for her, and sometimes we tried to send two to get the ball out of her hand.

“ Other players obviously stepped up. I thought we missed some defensive assignments with Wells in the fourth quarter. I thought she had a wide open look for a three, though we had pretty much eliminated the three ball for the most part. When our offense is struggling like that, our defense has to go to another level, and we didn’t do either one.”

A&M’s second game was the once and future champs bringing their balanced road show in, or a first loss in the final five.

The third straight home game is Tennessee’s visit this week. The last two-game road trip starts at Kentucky, both in that conversation for finishing in the top four in the league and gaining a double-bye in the conference tournament. 

Missouri is right there as well.

Carter was named to the Midseason Watch List for the 2019 Dawn Staley Award. The award is presented to the outstanding guard in women’s basketball. She has the school record for double-figure points, 31 in only her second season.

Somehow, even with the loss, they moved up in the national rankings.