Dec. 31, 2010
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Behind 23 points from Danielle Adams and playing its best first half of the season, No. 7 Texas A&M downed San Diego State 96-52 to win the Surf 'N Slam championship game.
The Aggies (11-1) led 54-14 at halftime, shot 57.5 percent, held San Diego State to 4 of 26 shooting, forced 20 turnovers and thoroughly frustrated a team that went to the Sweet 16 last season.
"The first half was as good as we could possibly play," Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said. "Everything was clicking. The players were all doing their job and Danielle was as hot as she's been all year."
Adams was virtually unstoppable against her counterpart, 6-foot-3 Paris Johnson, San Diego State's leading scorer. Adams made 11 of 15 shots, including 9 of 13 in the first half, despite playing only 17 minutes due to foul trouble.
"I think it was probably the best first half we ever had, the best all around game," said Adams. "We jelled together, we did what we had to do on defense and offense."
The 6-foot-1 Adams, who scored in double figures for the 21st straight game, hit her first four shots as Texas A&M got off to a fast start. She was also part of the interior defense that harassed Johnson into a miserable half.
"I think she is the best kept secret in the country," Blair said of his senior center.
In addition to her foul trouble, Adams also missed a couple of minutes early in the game when she received a cut on her nose.
Texas A&M (11-1) limited the Aztecs to 31.8 percent shooting on 14 of 44 shots and forced 31 San Diego State turnovers.
"When you play a great team, you have absolutely no room for error," San Diego State coach Beth Burns said. "That's why I am disappointed but not surprised."
The Aggies scored the first nine points of the game and increased the lead to 26-6 before the Aztecs broke an 8-minute, 29-second drought on Melissa Sweat's basket at the 6:11 mark.
Johnson led San Diego State (6-6) with 12 points, but she missed 10 of 12 shots from the floor. Johnson was 0 for 7 in the first half with two shots blocked.
"We wanted to make sure everything wasn't on the block, that we could get her away from the basket," Blair said. "I just think that (Danielle) played a complete game."
Adams and the Aggies made sure that San Diego State didn't repeat its feat from the 2008 title game when it upset No. 4 Texas.
Texas A&M improved to 61.3 percent shooting in the second half to finish at a season-high 59.2 percent(42 of 71).
Adaora Elonu scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double, and Sydney Carter also scored 12 for the Aggies. Sydney Colson finished with a career-high 13 assists.
"We were just running our sets," Colson said. "Some of it was in transition. But it was us making the right read and people knocking down shots when they were open."
Johnson passed Jessica Haynes for fifth place on San Diego State's all-time scoring list, becoming the fifth player in school history to score more than 1,400 points.
The Aggies won their fifth straight game since their only defeat, a 61-58 loss at then-No. 5 Duke on Dec. 6. Texas A&M hosts Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday before opening play in the tough Big 12 Conference with its four Top 25 teams.
San Diego State lost for just the sixth time in 29 December games dating to 2006. Half of the losses have come to Top 25 teams.