COLLEGE STATION, TX — Texas A&M and Duke have agreed to renew their women’s basketball series during the 2019-20 season Sunday, November 10 in Reed Arena.
“I’ve always respected the Duke program and what Coach Joanne P. McCallie has done,” said Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair. “You look for series with programs that respect each other for what they’ve done over the years—that’s what we tried to do here.”
“It’s going to be a tremendous week in Aggieland, with the start of basketball season,” added Blair. “People need to come out on that Sunday and see what we’re all about. People’s expectations are going to be very high for us—and it’s up to the student-athletes and coaching staff to deliver on those expectations.”
This marks the teams’ first matchup since the 2015-16 season, where the Aggies rallied for a 72-66 overtime win in Durham, N.C. Texas A&M holds a 5-1 advantage in the all-time series—a series which has seen both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 in all six previous games. Both of the prior contests held in Reed Arena have had attendances over 6,000.
The Blue Devils reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2018, but battled to a 15-15 record this past season. Texas A&M went 26-8 in 2018-19, reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year.
Coming off of back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, Texas A&M has been as high as No. 4 nationally in early preseason rankings. The Aggies are the only team to reach last season's Sweet 16 to return every starter, with 94 percent of the team's points, and four double-figure scorers, coming back to Aggieland.
This game is the second announced for the Aggies' 2019-20 campaign. It was previously announced that Texas A&M hosts Oklahoma State December 7 as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
An affordable, family entertainment option, women’s basketball season tickets begin as low as $100. Season ticket holders can renew their seats by logging into their account at 12thManFoundation.com and completing the renewal application. For assistance, or to speak with a representative about all of their ticketing options, fans are encouraged to call 979-846-8892. In addition, season ticket options consisting of unsold 2018-19 inventory are currently live for supporters wishing to purchase new season tickets in person, on the phone or at 12thMan.com/Tickets.
More About The Series:
· The schools have combined for 39 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1994 (Duke 23, Texas A&M 16)
· The programs have made three NCAA Championship games since 1999 (Duke 1999 & 2006 Runner-Up; Texas A&M 2011 Champions)
· Over 6,000 fans were in attendance in both of the previous series matchups in Reed Arena (6,866 in 2009; 6,123 in 2014)
· Texas A&M has a 5-1 lead in the all-time series, but Duke’s lone win came in 2010-11, defeating A&M’s eventual National Championship team 61-58
· Both teams have been ranked in all previous six games of the series
· The last four games of the series have been decided by an average of 4.3 points
Key moments of the series:
· March 30, 2008 – 2-seed Texas A&M 77, 3-seed Duke 63 (NCAA Sweet 16) – Texas A&M defeats Duke 77-63 in Oklahoma City to reach the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Patrice Reado led with 17 points—all in the second half.
· November 15, 2009 – at No. 15 Texas A&M 95, No. 11 Duke 77 – Danielle Adams scored 24 points in a memorable debut, leading the Aggies to a 95-77 win. Adams would go on to become Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 Final Four.
· November 30, 2014 – at No. 7 Texas A&M 63, No. 8 Duke 59 – In Duke’s last visit to College Station, the Aggies rallied from 15 points down with less than 12 minutes to play, defeating Duke 63-59.
· November 18, 2015 – No. 12 Texas A&M 72 at No. 14 Duke 66 (OT) – Khaalia Hillsman’s basket with 34 seconds left tied the game, then A&M rallied in overtime to beat Duke, 72-66. Courtney Walker scored five straight points in OT to put the game away
