Little Rock Drops Opener at No. 6/7 Texas A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Kyra Collier scored 13 points and Krystan Vornes grabbed a career-high seven rebounds but Little Rock couldn't stop an Aggie squad that returns all of its starters from Sweet 16 run last year in a 78-35 loss to No. 6/7 Texas A&M Tuesday night.

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The Aggies (1-0) used a dominant and methodical offense that utilized their strength in the post to shoot 47.7 percent from the field and control most of the game despite an early deficit.
 
"Tonight, we played against one of the best teams in the country and against one of the best guards in the country," Little Rock Head Coach Joe Foley said. "Naturally, I thought it would be a little rough and it was rough. But we learned a lot of things that will help us in the future."
 
Texas A&M relied on that strong post play, scoring 26 of their 31 field goals from inside the paint and out-rebounding Little Rock, 50-27. The primary player responsible for that paint domination came in the form of Ciera Johnson, whose 13 rebounds and career-high 24 points led all players.
 
"I knew we were going to have struggles there early and we did," Foley explained. "We have to learn how to defend the post better, there's no doubt. But she is a good one and she is very physical. I thought she has improved since last year, she is more mobile and that is going to help our posts in the future having faced her."
 
Vornes, who had never played more than 11 minutes in a game before Tuesday night, got the brunt of that learning lesson but played a steady 32 minutes as she scored seven points in addition to her seven boards. Alayzha Knapp, who made a start in her first collegiate appearance, scored six points while grabbing three rebounds.
 
The early-season challenge for the Trojans continues on Saturday when they play at Rice (1-0), a team that returns the core group from its 28-win season a year ago but is surprisingly not in the top 25 rankings in the preseason polls. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Basketball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWBB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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