Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (11/01/2026) — Kailyn Gilbert poured in 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Texas A&M Aggies pulled away from the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions 77-54 on Sunday at Reed Arena, turning a tighter-than-expected contest into a comfortable win behind a dominant second half and a massive edge on the glass.
Texas A&M outrebounded Arkansas-Pine Bluff 50-27, shot 44 percent from the field and knocked down 36 percent of its three-point attempts, while holding the Golden Lions to 21 percent from beyond the arc.
How It Happened
Arkansas-Pine Bluff struck first. Indiya Bowen opened the scoring with a driving layup off a Jailah Pelly assist at the 8:48 mark of the first quarter, and Jakyra Jackson's driving layup at 7:23 gave the Golden Lions a 4-3 edge after Rieyan DeSouze had answered with a 25-foot three set up by Gilbert. The lead changed hands three times in the early going before Janae Kent's 25-foot three at 6:19 put the Texas A&M Aggies in front 6-4 — a lead they never surrendered.
Gilbert's 24-foot three at 2:53 stretched the margin to 11-6, and Emerald Parker's layup off a DeSouze feed closed the quarter's scoring at 15-8. The Aggies kept building in the second, with Gilbert's 25-foot three at 4:22 pushing the lead to 27-12. Bowen beat the halftime buzzer with a 25-foot three off a Jasmine Davis assist, sending Arkansas-Pine Bluff to the locker room down 33-21.
The Golden Lions made things interesting out of the break. Bowen scored on a layup at 9:36 and buried another 25-foot three at 8:49 — both off Pelly assists — capping a surge that cut the deficit to 33-29 before Texas A&M had scored in the third quarter.
Turning Point
With Arkansas-Pine Bluff hanging around at 39-34 after Tyra Taylor's 25-foot three at 6:19 of the third, Gilbert took over. Her 24-foot three just 11 seconds later pushed the lead back to 42-34, and her 24-foot step-back jumper from deep at 3:05 made it 51-36, effectively ending the Golden Lions' comeback bid. Pelly's driving layup in the final minute of the quarter trimmed it to 53-44, but Gilbert answered again early in the fourth with a 26-foot three off a Miyah Verse assist at 9:50, and the Aggies cruised from there. Kent's 23-foot three at 3:21 — her second deep ball of the night, this one assisted by Anita Franchini — made it 69-54, and Gilbert's layup with 10 seconds left closed out the 77-54 final.
Star of the Game
Gilbert was the story from start to finish. The Texas A&M guard finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, delivering a double-double while serving as both the Aggies' primary scorer and a playmaker. Her four three-pointers in the scoring summary came at momentum-defining moments — none bigger than the back-to-back triples that broke open a five-point game in the third quarter. Verse added 13 points and six rebounds, while Parker chipped in 10 points and eight boards.
For Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Bowen led the way with 18 points, repeatedly keeping her team within striking distance. Jackson added 12 points and six rebounds, and Pelly stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, four rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
What It Means
The Texas A&M Aggies showed both encouraging signs and areas to clean up. Gilbert looks like a legitimate offensive engine, and the 50-27 rebounding advantage — with Parker and Verse combining for 14 boards — points to a frontcourt that can control the paint. The 16 turnovers and the third-quarter lull that let the Golden Lions climb within four will draw attention as SEC play looms later this season.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff leaves College Station with evidence it can compete against power-conference competition in stretches. The Golden Lions shot a respectable 41 percent from the field and got balanced production from Bowen, Jackson and Pelly, but the 21 percent three-point shooting and the rebounding deficit proved too much to overcome against a deeper Texas A&M roster.
