SAN ANTONIO – In the game of the NCAA Women’s Tournament so far, Texas A&M guard Jordan Nixon hit a running, spinning driver when the buzzer sounded to beat Iowa State in overtime, 84-82, and the Aggies a spot in the Sweet 16.
“All I thought was ‘push’,” said Nixon. ‘To push. I have to go, I have to get out. As soon as I put the shot down, I knew it was going in. Honestly.
“Once I saw daylight I didn’t think I had enough time to do anything, but my teammates ran across the floor and I just had to hang it up,” said Nixon. ‘All I thought was setting up. Live with the shot, live with the decision. I’m glad it went in. ‘
It ended Nixon’s career night – 35 points on 16-of-28 shots plus 7 assists – with the sophomore coming one big moment after another as the second-placed Aggies climbed out of a hole in the second half.
“For me it’s always about trust,” Nixon said. “My teammates wanted to give me the ball, wanted me to take shots. They trusted me to make plays and they trusted me to lead this team.”
For Nixon, it was also an emotional game, as she had quietly dedicated it to her high school coach, Dave Edwards, an Aggie alum, who died of COVID-19 a year and a day ago at the age of 48.
“He was one of my biggest fans,” said Nixon. “This game was for him.”
Iowa State, a 7-seed, built a 12-point lead in the second half after a flurry of long-range shooting from freshman Lexi Donarski and junior Ashley Joens. Joens threw in 32 points plus 18 rebounds and appeared to have sealed a trip to the Sweet 16 for the Cyclones with an en-1 playing 39 seconds to put Iowa State four.
Aggie guard N’dea Jones quickly answered with a lay-up, Jones made two free throws and Nixon answered again with a jumper. A&M caught the incoming pass and forced a jump ball, forcing Nixon to open the door to level the match with a lay-up with five seconds to go.
“Jordan Nixon is a winner. She’s that good,” said A&M coach Gary Blair. “I remember two years ago when she came on her official visit. Sometimes you’re just lucky and you know the fit is perfect. When she came in, she fit perfectly.”
The first lead the Aggies took came in extra inning when Nixon opened the extra frame with a 3. It was a drag for Texas A&M, as Iowa State beat every run with an answer. But Nixon had more answers, hitting pull-up jumpers in large spots to keep A&M within very close range to set up the buzzer-beating runner.
Jordan has that moment in him. She wants the moment, ”Blair said. That was probably the shot heard all over the state of Texas. I hope everyone watched it. ‘
Along the way, the intensity flared up in the Alamodome, and despite the vast emptiness of the vast arena, the small crowd of relatives was raw. They confused officials, sang and cheered, stamped and clapped. It made for a memorable environment despite the COVID-19 protocols preventing a traditional tournament atmosphere.
“It was a phenomenal college basketball game,” said Bill Fennelly, the Iowa state coach.
After the shot fell, just before her teammates swarmed her around a dog pile, Nixon stood almost motionless, taking in the scene and trying to capture the memory.
‘I loved the moment. At this time, at this time, we always think of the following and always look ahead, “she said,” but the moment I stopped, I took it in. Heading for the Sweet 16, we’ve just gotten back to a really, really good team, right down to the wire. These are the moments. These are the moments you remember with your teammates. We will be this day, this year and this tournament. “
The Aggies will play No. 3 seed Arizona on Saturday.
“We need about two weeks off,” Blair joked, “and then we’ll come back to play.”