COLLEGE STATION- Chennedy Carter hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds to play, sending No. 4 seed Texas A&M to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014 with a 80-79 win over No. 5 seed DePaul in the Second Round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.
The Aggies (26-9) rallied back from down 17 points early in the third quarter, marking the fourth-largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history, one year after the Aggies set the Tournament record with a 21-point comeback against Penn.
Carter, who set a Texas A&M NCAA Tournament record with 37 points, scored all of A&M’s points in a 9-2 run over the final 1:43 to take the lead. Jasmine Lumpkin stole DePaul’s final in-bound pass to clinch the victory.
Anriel Howard had her second-straight double double, adding 18 points and 19 rebounds, the second-most rebounds for an Aggie in an NCAA Tournament game.
Five DePaul (27-8) players scored in double figures, led by Tanita Allen with 19. The Blue Demons led 43-28 at halftime.
The Aggies advance to the Sweet 16 for seventh time in program history, and takes on the winner of tonight’s Notre Dame-Villanova game on Saturday, March 24 in the Spokane Regional Semifinal at 3 or 5 p.m. CT inside Spokane Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
QUICKIE NOTES
Texas A&M
· Earns the seventh trip in program history to the Sweet 16, and the first since 2014. Six of the seven Sweet 16 trips have come under current head coach Gary Blair
· The Aggies’ 17-point comeback is the fourth-largest in NCAA Tournament history. In last year’s First Round, the Aggies set the Tournament record with a 21-point comeback against Penn.
· It is the largest comeback for a Second Round game in NCAA Tournament history
· With today’s win, every Texas A&M recruiting class since 2004-05 has made at least one trip to the Sweet 16
· Texas A&M improves to 26-9 on the season, having clinched the most wins in a season since 2013-14. DePaul concludes its season at 27-8.
· Texas A&M is now 25-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, and 7-5 in the Second Round
· Head coach Gary Blair is 357-150 in 15 seasons at Texas A&M, and 765-313 in his Hall of Fame career, which ranks eighth among active coaches in career wins.
Chennedy Carter
· Set a Texas A&M NCAA Tournament record with 37 points. It is the most in an NCAA Tournament game this season and ties for the sixth-most in a Second Round game
· Her 37 points are the fourth-most in a single game in A&M history, and the second-most for an A&M freshman
· Scored 30+ points for the sixth time this season
· Scored 20+ points for the fourth straight game, and 23rd time in 35 games this season
· Scored in double figures for the 34th time in 35 games this season
Anriel Howard
· Her 19 rebounds are the second-most for an Aggie in an NCAA Tournament game. She has each of the top three marks in Texas A&M history (27 vs. Missouri State – 2016 1st; 16 vs. Penn – 2017 1st)
· Had her second consecutive double-double and her 19th of the season. She extends her Texas A&M record with the 31st of her career
· Scored 10+ points for the 21st time this season and the 41st time in her career
· Had 10+ rebounds for the 30th time this season and the 58th time in her career
Jasmine Lumpkin
· Had 10+ rebounds for the third time this season
· Had a game-icing steal in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Her steal with 17 seconds left against Penn in last year’s First Round forced the Quakers to start fouling
