COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Aggie women's basketball team is looking to get back in the win column as they head to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas but they'll have to try and do it without their leading scorer, Aicha Coulibaly.
“I just want to say that we're thinking about Aicha. She went down Sunday with a season-ending knee injury against LSU and she will miss the remainder of the season,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “Just our thoughts and prayers are with her and at this time we just feel bad for her for everything that she's gone through and the heart, she's the heart and soul of our team. So just really disappointed that this has happened to her and praying for during this time.”
Coulibaly was leading the team with 12.8 points per game this season and pouring in 14 a game during conference play. The redshirt senior has been a major impact player, currently in the top three of almost every major stat on the team. Coulibaly has started every game this season and averages the most minutes, so it won't be easy to replace her presence and production on the floor.
“What I can tell you is that one person can't replace what she brings to the table,” Taylor said, “We've got to rebound by committee, we've got to defend by committee, we've got to score by committee because there's not one person who can do all of the things, let alone the intangibles that she brings.”
The Aggies are still looking for their first SEC road win this season and they'll have to try and do it against an Arkansas team that's looking for their first SEC win at home.
“They're playing at home, they play well at home,” Taylor said. “They've been in some really close games, and any team that shoots it as well as they do, and any team that has a player like Higginbottom on any given night, they can beat you and so we are walking in there prepared to, play in battle for 40 minutes and, it'll be a really, really tough game.”
The Aggies take on the Hogs before hosting No. 7 Texas in the Lone Star Showdown Sunday evening. Tip off Thursday night at the Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville is set for 6:30 p.m.
