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Spinks adds brawn to AScM’s KO puncb
□ JUCO transfer has
found a home in
Lady Aggie post.
By Kristina Buffin
The Battalion
After losing senior center Nikki
Littles last season, the Texas A&M
women’s basketball team hoped to fill
the void left at the post position by
recruiting a similarly styled player to
produce at that position. This season,
the Lady Aggies responded to the sit
uation by recruiting one of the top ju
nior college recruit in Texas, junior
center Angel Spinks.
Although Spinks did not begin
playing basketball until she was
twelve, she has gained both experi
ence and success in high school and
at Howard College before transfer
ring to play with the Lady Aggies.
While playing for Clear Creek
High School, Spinks was named to
the Texas all-state second team as a
senior and was a 4A-5A North all-
star team pick.
After high school, Spinks opted to
go to Howard College before playing
for a Division I-A school.
“I’m glad that I went to JUCO (ju
nior college),” Spinks said. “It was a
different level than high school, I was
able to experience something differ
ent. I’m still trying to become a Divi
sion I player.”
As a freshman at Howard College,
Spinks averaged 13.7 points and 10
rebounds per game. She posted a
66.5 field goal percentage, a Western
Junior College Athletic Conference
all-time season record.
Spinks started all 37 games as a
sophomore. While leading her team
to a 33-4 record and a first place fin
ish in the WJCAC, she averaged 16.3
points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals and
2.0 blocks. She also led the confer
ence with a 38.3 three-point field
goal percentage.
“I want to be able to go in and give
it all I can,” Spinks said. “Whether I
score or play individual defense well
is irrelevant.”
Spinks has become the “sixth
woman” for the Lady Aggies this sea
son, playing in all of A&M’s games
without starting. She has been able to
fill the post position void left by Littles
and even expand upon that role.
“My play is kind of similar to Nik
ki’s,” Spinks s^id. “But I can fill more
spots inside or outside. Other teams
don’t expect a post player to shoot the
three, and (that has) let us open up
other shots.”
Spinks’ versatility has enabled her
to average 10.2 points and 4.7 re
bounds per game, which are third
and fourth on the team respectively.
Spinks is shooting 52.6 percent from
the floor and 37.5 percent from be
hind the three-point
arc.
“Angel gives us good
depth at the post po
sition, and we are
much more consistent
there now,” head
coach Candi Harvey
said. “She has been
able to feed her game
effort into practice ef
fort. When she comes in, she has the
ability to take over a game.'
“She has the potential to be one of
the better post players in the SWC.”
Spinks' efforts led her to score a
career-high 20 points in the Lady Ag
gies’ first game against Lamar Uni
versity. She has led the team in scor
ing twice and in rebounds twice. She
was also named to the Holiday
InryDomino’s Pizza Lady Aggie Invi
tational All-tournament team.
As for her plans after college,
Spinks, a biomedical sciences major,
hopes to become a pharmacist. As for
basketball, Spinks said, “When it’s
over, it’ll be over.”
Spinks is confident about the rest
of the season for the Lady Aggies.
She believes that there is only more
success ahead for the team.
“It is all mental, we need to be
more confident,” Spinks said. “The
team is full of talent. We are good at
home, we need to take that home at
mosphere on the road.”
"I want to be able to go in and give it
all I can. Whether I score or play indi
vidual defense well is irrelevant."
- Angel Spinks
m
Lady Aggies 100-Point Games
Date
Opponent
Score
January 8,1983
Rice
105-81
December 17,1984
St. Mary's (4 OT)
101 -95
November 30, 1987
Pan American
110-50
December 8,1988
Pan American
100-39
December 5,1990
Oklahoma
101 -80
February 26,1994
SMU
103-85
Stew Milne/T'HE Battalion
Angel Spinks #50 moves inside to receive a pass during the game
against the UT Lady Longhorns last Saturday.
• Lady Aggies’ Top 12 •
BIGGEST WINS IN HISTORY
Margin
Date
Team
Score
83
January 21,1975
Rice
99-16
61
December 8,1988
Pan American
100-39
60
November 30, 1987
Pan American
110-50
58
January 5,1978
Friends University
97-39
53
January 22, 1980
Sam Houston State
94-41
48
January 10,1990
SMU
93-45
47
January 14,1989
Baylor
94-47
47
January 8,1993
Oral Roberts
96-49
46
February 14,1975
SMU
70-24
46
November 30,1978
Wharton Junior College
88-42
44
November 18,1978
Texas A&l
81-37
44
December 6,1991
Chicago State
82-38