Harberts scored 19 points, but was held to 5-of-14 shooting. (Shotgun Spratling/Neon Tommy)

The Aggies scored 31 points off of USC turnovers, including 21 of those points in a one-sided second half. At halftime, the Trojans only trailed by three points, 33-30. 

“It was pretty much our turnovers,” USC forward Cassie Harberts, in explaining her team's loss. “Our offense fueled their offense in a way.” 

Women of Troy head coach Michael Cooper was encouraged by USC’s first-half performance against a top-25 team, but expressed disappointment that his team failed to put two quality halves together: “We came back the second half and weren’t able to sustain our defensive intensity, as well as our offensive flow.”

USC’s 15 second-half turnovers contributed to the Aggies’ success inside the key, as the Women of Troy often found themselves unable to get set defensively. Texas A&M scored 21 points in the paint during the half, as they shot 57.1 percent from the field.   

“Instead of just making easy passes or dribbling a person down, we tried to force a lot of stuff,” said Harberts.

The Women of Troy secured 21 offensive rebounds, but were largely unable to take advantage of their strong offensive rebounding because of poor shooting. For the game, USC was limited to 30.3 percent from the field, while its opponents converted 45.8 percent.

Although Harberts and Ariya Crook combined for 34 points, the Aggies held the duo to a combined 11-of-31 shooting and nine turnovers.

“Every night she’s going up against heavy hitters,” said Cooper of Harberts, “and teams are gearing their defense toward her and making it difficult. She always finds some kind of way to get us going and get us some inside points.” 

Despite Harberts’ 19 points and eight rebounds, the Women of Troy never really had a chance after the Aggies began the second half on a commanding 26-7 run. A little later, the Aggies extended their lead to a game-high 25 points. 

The victory gives Texas A&M its sixth consecutive win after beginning the season with three losses to top-10 opponents. Meanwhile, the Women of Troy have now lost three in a row, heading into the two-day Women of Troy Classic.  

On Day 1 of the tournament, Dec. 21, USC will open against the UC Davis Aggies at 5 p.m. before facing the undefeated No. 4 Duke Blue Devils the following afternoon. 

Reach Senior Sports Editor Aaron Fischman by email, or follow him on Twitter.