No. 10 Texas A&M falls to LSU; loses Carter to injury
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Jailin Cherry scored 12 points and LSU toppled No. 10 Texas A&M 57-54 on the road on Thursday after Aggies star guard Chennedy Carter left in the first half with a left foot injury.
Her status moving forward is unknown.
Carter made an off-balanced jump shot in the paint with 3:03 remaining in the first half before falling to the floor with the injury. Teammates Ciera Johnson and N’dea Jones helped her off the court.
Carter returned to the bench in the second half with a walking boot on her left foot. The Tigers snapped Texas A&M’s nine-game win streak and kept from losing two straight games for the first time this season.
Cherry drew a charge on Jones in the lane with 27.1 seconds left with the Tigers (12-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) leading 55-54. The Aggies (14-2, 2-1 SEC) then fouled Awa Trasi on the inbounds pass, and she made both free throws to put the Tigers on top 57-54 with 25.9 seconds remaining.
The Aggies’ Shambria Washington missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Jones led the Aggies with 19 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs.
The home team had won the seven previous regular-season games prior to Thursday in the series that dates to 1979 and spans 28 games. The Tigers also evened the all-time series at 14 wins each.
The Tigers, coming off a surprising 69-65 setback at 4-12 Missouri on Sunday, snapped out of their short funk with a road win against a top 10 team – albeit one without its star player for most of the game.
BIG PICTURE
LSU: With road games at A&M and No. 13 Mississippi State in LSU’s first five SEC games, the league’s schedule-makers did the Tigers no favors to start the new year. But the Tigers, in another offering of the resiliency they’ve shown all season, bounced back from a disheartening loss.
Texas A&M: The Aggies’ biggest concern moving forward, despite the loss, is Carter’s health. They’re fortunate to have the next week off to see how she’s able to bounce back.
UP NEXT
The Tigers host Mississippi on Sunday.
The Aggies play at Kentucky on Thursday.
