The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
Women's Basketball builds lead but eventually falls to A&M, 80-65
01.19.2011 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2011
Box Score | | Box Score 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Everything changed for the Texas Longhorns in about 90 seconds on Wednesday night at Reed Arena.
UT opened against sixth-ranked Texas A&M with assertive confidence, aggressive pressure defense and built a nine-point lead early in the second half. The Aggies then used the same strategy to gain control of the game and eventually pull away for an 80-65 victory.
With UT leading 43-34 with 14:57 to play, A&M amplified its full-court pressure, and the Longhorns threw away four turnovers on four-straight possessions. The lead dissolved when point guard Sydney Colson converted a steal into a lay-up to knot the game at 43-43 with 13:22 remaining.
"It was like a feeding frenzy all of a sudden. It was a battle," Texas coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I think (A&M) gained a lot of confidence when we turned the ball over in that stretch."
Danielle Adams then broke the tie with a 3-pointer to give the Aggies their first lead of the second half at 48-45, and the Longhorns could never pull back in front. Adams finished with a career-high 34 points to lead A&M.
Freshman Chassidy Fussell paced the Longhorns with a career-high 26 points, and Kathleen Nash provided 16 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.
The Aggies have won 10-straight games, but trailed at halftime for just the second time this season. The 65 points scored by UT are the most allowed by A&M since surrendering 66 to TCU on Dec. 12.
A&M entered the game averaging 26.8 turnovers forced during its winning streak. The 18 turnovers by the Longhorns match the fewest forced by the Aggies this season. No. 3 Duke also had 18 turnovers in a 61-58 win over A&M on Dec. 6.
"We played them pretty well for a good bit of the game, but I thought we lost our poise," Goestenkors said.
