LAIE, Hawaii (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by turnovers and missed opportunities, the Texas A&M Aggies used a strong fourth-quarter surge to defeat the Colorado Buffaloes 59-46 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday at Cannon Activities Center.

The Aggies, playing as the home team, improved their season record to 5-1, while the Buffaloes fell to 5-2. The result was an upset according to pregame analytics, as statistical models heavily favored Colorado to win.

The game was a tale of two halves, and ultimately, Texas A&M’s ability to capitalize on Colorado’s mistakes proved decisive. The Aggies scored 23 points off 22 Colorado turnovers, while the Buffaloes managed just 15 points off 18 Texas A&M giveaways.

Ny’Ceara Pryor was the engine for Texas A&M, leading all scorers with 23 points. The 5-foot-3 guard from Baltimore, Maryland, also dished out six assists and was a persistent disruptive force on both ends of the court, frequently generating transition chances for the Aggies.

The contest began as a low-scoring affair. Texas A&M established an early lead, closing the first quarter with a 15-9 advantage. Colorado responded in the second period, outscoring the Aggies 16-9 to take a narrow 25-24 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with Texas A&M edging Colorado 16-12 to reclaim a 40-37 lead heading into the final frame. It was in the fourth quarter that the Aggies seized control, unleashing a 19-9 run to pull away for the comfortable victory.

While both teams struggled from the field, Texas A&M’s efficiency at the free-throw line was a critical differentiator. The Aggies connected on 14 of 17 attempts from the charity stripe, while Colorado made just 6 of 10. From the floor, Texas A&M shot 20 of 53, compared to Colorado’s 18 of 53. From beyond the arc, the Aggies were 5 of 18, while the Buffaloes were 4 of 19.

Zyanna Walker led Colorado with 14 points, and Logyn Greer added nine. Kennedy Sanders contributed eight points for the Buffaloes. For Texas A&M, Janae Kent provided a significant boost with 14 points, while Jordan Webster and Fatmata Janneh chipped in nine and eight points, respectively.

Defensively, both teams were active, combining for 26 steals. Texas A&M held a slight edge in that category with 14, while Colorado recorded 12. The Aggies also won the rebounding battle, securing nine offensive boards to Colorado’s seven.

The game was part of a multi-team event in Hawaii. Colorado entered the contest on a five-game winning streak, including a victory over VCU the previous day. Texas A&M was looking to bounce back after a one-point loss to Texas-Arlington on Monday.

Colorado will look to return to the win column when it hosts Montana State on Sunday. Texas A&M’s next matchup is at home against Georgia Tech on Wednesday, Dec. 3.