COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Maggie Proffitt scored 22 points on 9 of 20 shooting, but Central Arkansas struggled as a whole offensively at Texas A&M on Sunday, shooting just 35 percent as the Sugar Bears fell 74-49 to the 23rd-ranked Aggies at Reed Arena in the Aggies' season opener.
"I felt like there was a lot of selfish play tonight," said UCA head coach Sandra Rushing. "The issue I'm having is we've got two all-conference guards (Proffitt and Brianna Mullins) and Bri isn't getting enough shots. You look at our shooting percentage – and Bri Mullins only took six shots in 34 minutes, we had some take six in 15 minutes and that's unacceptable. We've got to figure out how to put that together. We have the talent, but everybody is on their own agenda right now. I see the potential, and I know how good we're going to be, but they've got to let me coach them and get rid of all the other stuff going on and focus on this team."
The Sugar Bears (1-1) trailed by just 15 late in the 3rd quarter, but after rebounding an errant A&M shot with 18 seconds to play in the period the Sugar Bears used just 11 seconds before missing on a shot attempt, allowing the Aggies (1-0) to get a bucket just before the buzzer. That score would spark a 10-0 A&M run that extended the lead to 25 with 7 minutes to go and put the game out of reach for the Sugar Bears.
The 74 points is the lowest total the Sugar Bears have allowed in six games against a Top 25 opponent since moving to Division I in 2006, and the 25-point spread is also the lowest margin of defeat in those games.
While Proffitt led Central Arkansas with 22 points and pulled down 5 rebounds in 33 minutes, Taylor Baudoin added 8 points and Taylor Strickland had 4. Mullins and Raquel Logan tied for the team lead with 6 rebounds apiece, and Mullins had a team-high 4 assists. Texas A&M's Danni Williams had a career-high 25 points to lead all scorers, and Khaalia Hillman added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
It was the 11th time in the past 12 seasons the Aggies have opened the season with a win under hall of fame head coach Gary Blair, and the loss drops the Sugar Bears to 2-4 against SEC teams.
The Sugar Bears return to play on the road at Alcorn State on Thursday before a four-game homestand in the Farris Center that will keep them in Conway until a trip to Texas Tech on Dec. 14.
