There’s a first time for everything.

For the Texas A&M, it was winning in Hilton Coliseum. The Aggies (17-1, 5-0 Big 12) held off a late Cyclone run in the second half to finish with a 60-51 victory.

Senior Aggie forward Danielle Adams finished the game with 25 points and 12 rebounds, above her Big 12-leading 22 points per game average. 

Adams was working in the post for the majority of the game against sophomore center Anna Prins. Prins is 6 inches taller than Adams.

“I tried to get her down low and score over her, but she is a very physical and tough player,” Adams said. “I had my work cut out for me, so I had to make some adjustments.”

Junior guard Sydney Carter also was key in the victory. She had 13 points to go with four assists, a block and two steals. Carter expressed that Adams’s versatility is something that allows the offense to run smoothly.

“You never know where to guard her,” Carter said. “She can take you down low and rebound her own misses. You also have to guard her on the outside because she can knock down the shot.”

Texas A&M used a tight pressure defense the entire game that forced 20 Cyclone turnovers. Iowa State point guard Lauren Mansfield was charged with eight turnovers, but some off those came off of dropped passes by her teammates. Iowa State gave up 17 points off the 20 turnovers.

The Aggies defense also played well in the paint. They finished the game with 12 blocks, six of those by Adams.

Carter was in charge of pressuring Mansfield for the majority of the game, and coach Gary Blair called her the team’s most valuable player.

“We go as far as Sydney,” Blair said. “She’s going to guard the other team’s best player, she’s going to do the little things right and she’s going to play 40 minutes if she has to.”

Coming into the game, Blair wanted to focus on shutting down the Cyclones’ Chelsea Poppens, and was effective in doing so. Poppens was held scoreless and had two rebounds and four turnovers.

For Carter and the rest of the team, getting their first win at Hilton Coliseum was a confidence booster for the team going forward.

“I just think its a sign that this team is mentally and physically tough,” Adams said. “It gives us the confidence to know that we can walk into an opposing gym in the Big 12 and get a win.”