Walker leads No. 5 Texas A&M over No. 18 DePaul women
Courtney Walker scored 26 points to lead No. 5 Texas A&M to a 76-68 victory over No. 18 DePaul in the season opener for both teams Friday night.
The Aggies (1-0) secured the win closing the game on a 10-2 run, including going 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
Jordan Jones and Khaalia Hillsman each added 10 points for Texas A&M, which beat DePaul 84-65 in last season's Sweet 16.
Jessica January scored 24 points to lead DePaul (0-1). Brittany Hrynko had 19 and Megan Rogowski added 10.
Texas A&M opened its biggest lead at 56-47 after Walker's 3 pointer with 10:45 showing. But DePaul stormed back and by the 6:19 mark had tied the game at 60 on Hrynko's two free throws.
The teams traded points until it was 66-66 all with 2:45 left on Chanise Jenkins' layup. Then the Aggies took over.
Texas-Pan-American topped New Mexico 61-59 behind 21 points from Shawnte' Goff and 12 from KaeLynn Boyd in the first of two games in the annual Maggie Dixon Classic at DePaul. Antiesha Brown led New Mexico with 19 points while Khadijah Shumpert added 17.
The Maggie Dixon Classic salutes the former DePaul assistant and Army head coach who died from a heart arrhythmia in 2006.
TIP-INs
Texas A&M: The Aggies returned 83 percent of their scoring and 81 percent of its rebounding from last season's team that advanced to the Elite Eight, including Walker (15.6 points), forward Courtney Williams (13.9) and guard Jordan Jones (7.1).
DePaul: The Blue Demons, unanimous pick for a second straight Big East title, brought back four starters from a 29-7 team including Hrynko (12.5 points) and 3-point threat Rogowski (15.7 points).
NEXT UP:
Texas A&M plays New Mexico on Saturday at DePaul
DePaul hosts Texas Pan-American on Saturday.