Aggies blow by Islanders to begin season in dominant fashion, 81-43
Game #1: Texas A&M 81, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 43
Records: Texas A&M (1-0, 0-0), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1-1, 0-0)
Box Score
A fresh start.
That's what the 12th Man saw on Wednesday night when Texas A&M opened its 2025-26 season with an 81-43 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena.
Four Aggies finished in double figures as A&M stranded the Islanders to kick off Year 4 of the Joni Taylor era.
The 38-point victory not only provided excitement for what's to come, but also a chance to refine details that may not have revealed themselves in a practice setting.
“It was a great first step. We have a lot of work to do,” Taylor said. “There were times we were stagnant in the first and fourth quarters. I have a long list of things we need to continue to work on, but for us, it was a great first start.”
A second-half surge allowed A&M to shake off a mediocre first frame.
The Maroon & White held the visitors to just two points in the opening five minutes but gave up 11 in the following five.
From there, Taylor's Ags sped away, outscoring the Islanders, 25-7, in the second quarter.
The Aggies received their initial burst from Fatmata “Fats” Janneh, a transfer from Saint Peter's. She quickly showed her ability to clean up the glass and shoot from range, recording her first of likely many double-doubles as an Aggie with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“It felt great, just playing out there with the team and feeling the 12th Man spirit around the arena,” Janneh said. “It just got me going.”
The bulk of A&M's success came from capitalizing on the opponents' mistakes, with 21 points off turnovers in the first half.
Additionally, increased production from the backcourt powered the large margin of victory.
It was a breath of fresh air to see Ny'Ceara Pryor run the offense with authority, as point guard play during the Taylor era has severely struggled. The nation's leader in steals a year ago, the Sacred Heart transfer recorded eight, helping the team to 21 total.
Pryor is the first Aggie to have seven steals in a game since Curtyce Knox in 2016.
“That's the type of game I'm going to bring all season,” Pryor said. “I let my defense talk. Sometimes, the offensive game isn't there, but the defense is something I can control.
“I am a small guard, so I have to be able to defend.”
Pyror really found her groove in the second half, logging 16 total points and eight assists, but she still showed room to grow as she shot just 35 percent from the field.
Lemyah Hylton and Janae Kent offered a pop from beyond the arc. Hylton knocked in a trio of triples and finished with 14 points, while Kent provided 11 more. Even freshman Chaney Spencer got in the action, knocking down a trey in the final minutes.
“They were hitting shots, and I love that,” Pryor said. “That is going to be our identity all year. Push, push, push, get open and knock it down. I trust them to shoot the ball.”
A&M got off on the right foot, something Taylor's squad couldn't say last year around this time. The Maroon & White suffered a 62-56 loss to the Islanders to open Taylor's third year in Aggieland.
“I felt like it was a revenge game,” Pryor said. “We had a chip on our shoulder. They came in here knowing they won last year.”
In that loss, there were only 11 players on the roster, but not all were available. Taylor had to chance to play a healthy 11 of her 15 in the win on Wednesday.
“It was really good,” Taylor said about the full bench. “We have players who can play multiple positions. It allows us to challenge the players on the floor to play really hard because someone is coming for you, not to save yourself.”
“We have more we need to work on. I am excited to have some time before our next game to work on getting more people ready to go.”
A&M's next opportunity to take another stride comes against Tarleton on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. CT.
