No. 8 Mississippi State erases big deficit, beats No. 16 A&M

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Myah Taylor scored 16 points in the final 12 minutes to lead No. 8 Mississippi State back from a double-digit deficit to a 69-57 victory over No. 16 Texas A&M on Sunday.

All of Taylor’s points came in the second half, and she had six assists, three steals and zero turnovers to lead the charge for the struggling Bulldogs (22-3, 10-1 SEC).

The Aggies (18-5, 6-4) played their sixth consecutive game without preseason SEC Player of the Year Chennedy Carter, who has been dealing with an injury. That didn’t stop them from shutting down the Bulldogs on the defensive end for most of the first three quarters.

Texas A&M kept the lead to double digits for the better part of 10 minutes — from late in the second quarter to late in the third — before Taylor got started. The sophomore point guard had a steal with 2:16 left in the third with the Aggies trailing by 10 points and she scored.

It was the first of four straight Mississippi State baskets by Taylor, which helped erase a 49-43 disadvantage to end the third quarter. The Bulldogs opened the fourth with a 9-0 run to take a lead they wouldn’t lose.

Texas A&M went from scoring 26 points in the second quarter to scoring 20 points the entire second half.

Two-time SEC Freshman of the Week Rickea Jackson had 21 points to lead Mississippi State and added 10 rebounds for the second double-double of her career. Jessika Carter had 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting and seven rebounds.

Kayla Wells and N’dea Jones scored 16 points each for Texas A&M, with Jones hauling in 15 rebounds. Aaliyah Wilson added 12 points.

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M: The Aggies were again without star Carter and the offense reflected it. Still, the preseason favorites for the SEC championship created a lot of problems defensively for Mississippi State. When Carter returns, they should be ready for a run.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were playing their third game in seven days and looked tired early. Their second-half dominance showed that they’re capable of being a threat moving forward.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M: Hosts Vanderbilt on Thursday.

Mississippi State: Travels to Kentucky on Sunday.