Guru’s March Madness - I: Aggies Go Thump in the Night

By Mike Siroky

The Aggies entered the last game of the day, an advantage because you know both fates of your game.

Win and you play on, the opponent is not a top seed but a No. 4 and whoever won would be favored. 

The bigger example was two of the No. 1s who played this day were so severely tested. A top seed is a good thing, but at this point, everyone is a good team. 

One of them also lost and another went to overtime.

Lose and you go home. 

Texas A&M chose the latter option.

In a regular tournament, many friends and families could attend, season, both teams would just be coming off two home games. 

Instead, they were on the extended stay plan of isolated hotel life. They lived history as it will never be played again.

Gary Blair had his team focused on the here and now, as so many A&M  players had said throughout this elimination season, live for the moment, enjoy the moment. 

As Blair had observed, there was a little mystification how a No. 2 seed could be played so closely by all the foes so far.

Arizona got the memo. 

The first quarter ended with A&M ahead 19-17. They did not win another quarter.

 N’dea jones had eight for A&M, but she scored only one more basket. 

A&M was hitting 61 percent from the floor, Arizona had two 3s, so the 43 percent was offset. 

Jordan Nixon had not scored for A&M. Wildcat senior star Aari McDonald, a 5-6 senior averaging 19, had eight. 

The ESPN broadcasters had bought in to the underdogs and were praising Arizona effusively. 

A&M opened the second quarter 0-ofor-6 and Arizona opened a 25-16 lead as ESPN continued to cheerlead.

 Once again, the idea A&M was cold went against Blair’s season-long praise of his offensive coordinator. 

Maybe he had to step it up himself. He tried.

Most every Aggie was below her scoring average and there were no 3s, as happened in the previous outing.

 It looked like opposite day again, with the higher seed more confident, controlled and playing their game. 

By the three-minute mark, A&M had the lead down to a basket.

It was 35-32 at half.

McDonald already had 19. They needed a halftime defensive adjustment. You can’t let one 5-6 player beat you.

A&M was led by Kayla Wells, stepping up for others with 3-of-6 from the floor, 2-of-2 at the line. 

The senior forward was a point shy of her season average. 

She only scored six more. 

Jones did  not score in the quarter, maybe holding 6-3 center Cate Reese to a standoff. 

She’s the one that escaped A&M’s recruiters, growing up an hour south of Aggieland.  

A&M had more work to do, like waking up senior center Cierra Johnson or leading scorer Wilson.

The spiffy two-loss record was on the line against a team that had lost three of four to close its season.

Arizona had adjusted better, a 10-2 run to start the third. 

Blair can brag all he wants on a senior support staff, but neither coordinator was exhibiting brilliance.

Johnson hit two  baskets and Wilson another. 

A 3 by Arizona – they had seven, A&M zero -- kept the lead at three. 

Five straight put it back at eight. 

 A&M was even winning rebounds, so the difference was the long ball, lack of them on A&M offense and trouble stopping them on defense. 

Nixon was not making the motor rev, three points so far. 

They did not have to respect the Aggie guards. 

The Cardinals won the second quarter by five and this one the same. 

A&M looked to be out of rallies.

Blair was working the referees, investing against calls to come.

 Wells made two free throws. 

Arizona scored five straight, another 3 of course.

 Blair discarded his sport coat.

 An Arizona player flopped and the refs bought the flop. 

Another 3 rimmed in. 

No defender contested the outside shot.

 Arizona, 14 points head, was howling. A&M wasn’t doing much of anything. 

They could tell the driver to warm up the bus for the home trip across state.

The third ended 59-46. Wilson had scored 10. 

But Jones was on her way to the one basket in the final threequarters. 

Nixon had three points on one shot and that’s all for the game. 

The bag of magic beans was empty. 

They had 14 turnovers and not one steal. They were running in place, lots of effort and no destiny except the abyss.

By folding in the middle quarters, they had accepted their fate  uncontested.

It never got better and ended 74-59, three straight quarters lost and 2-2 to end the season. 

They likely remain in the Top 15 nationally, second-best in the league.

A third loss  dissolved the myth about proper seeding and the SEC in the tournament, backed the ESPN brag about the Pac12 and ended, for now, the seniors’ contribution to Aggieland lore.

Sure the four senior starters can all come back but that will be a one by one decision  and not a group effort. 

The opportunity was now. And now gone.

McDonald beat the defense for 31, no other Wildcat in double figures. 

The 13 3s were the deciding factor. 

There is no word if the defensive genius knew why. 

There is no word if the offensive genius can ever contest that A&M died there, with two 3s made, 16 points below the season scoring average. 

Wilson scored 17, above her average, but no one else stepped up at all.

“The 12^th man was here,” she said after Blair called her a special player who has not played her last game. “It took us back to the season.

“The defense, they had really good guard play. 

We got in the tempo they wanted us to. McDonald,  she led them well. That’s all to them.

“I cannot put it on one thing. The stage is a big stage. The players are the best of the best. You don’t have many opportunities.

“This team was my favorite team for sure. We remained the underdog. We exceeded our expectations without living up to our expectations. We surprised ourselves. We made history here this year, won the SEC championship. We played our hearts out.”

Blair said, “I’m just so proud of my team This year means more to me as a coach because of what these young ladies and what the people in the county went through.”

Like any good politician, good coaches have the ability to step right over a new mess in the gutter. 

“This team is beautiful,” he said. “We had zero problems all year.

"Did our kids enjoy playing together. They found a way. If they decide to come back, I promise you I love every one of them.

“But we have three very good freshmen coming in. We had freshmen this year that knew they would not get much playing time.”

In this last game, “We probably turned it over. But if our strength is our guard play, they attacked it.

“All of a sudden they’d make a play, we didn’t handle it well.

“They were deflecting balls and we didn’t finish. Sometimes you gotta play through contact. You’ve got to learn. 

‘We missed a lot of layups. Our matchup zone was not as good. They let you play in the NCAA tournament.

“As a coach and a player, they were a step quicker. 

“The point guard McDonald, that is something else. She is something else, 18 at half where we generally don’t allow 18 an entire game. 

‘Soon as you start patting yourself on the back, that’s where they will take that away. Our game is four players in double figures.

“They only got four offensive boards. 

“They were killing us on their corner 3s. We Wanted to be the little team that could.

“But they executed better than us. That comes back to me. It will hit me later on the bus.”