By ROBERT CESSNA

Eagle Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A&M head women's basketball coach Gary Blair had a heart-to-heart talk with Patrice Reado at halftime of Sunday night's game against Duke.

Reado had been virtually invisible in 13 minutes, with no points and no rebounds.

The Aggies still managed a 29-25 lead, but the taller Blue Devils had a 23-15 rebounding edge. Blair knew he needed Reado to step up if A&M was going to advance to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

"I got on her pretty good," Blair said. "I can get on her more than any other kid on this team, because she's a Houston kid who can handle anything that I give her or her mama can give her."

Little did Blair realize how much he needed the 6-foot forward until trainer Mike "Radar" Ricke told him Danielle Gant couldn't play the second half because of dehydration. Gant had a team-high five rebounds and eight points in playing all 20 minutes of the first half.

"I said, 'Radar, if she's dizzy, I'm sick,'" Blair said.

Reado made Blair and the Aggies feel much better with a 17-point, eight-rebound second half to power A&M to a 77-63 victory, the biggest in school history.

"She's the most unheralded out of my five starters," Blair said. "She took up for Danielle Gant and gave us that extra scorer."

It was the kind of game Blair envisioned when he won a recruiting battle against Purdue four years ago for Reado, who was his first big-time recruit from the Greater Houston area.

But chronic back problems and migraine headaches stifled her progress. She couldn't even practice in the preseason heading into her senior season. It was too risky.

She constantly gave the Aggies a solid 20 minutes, but only led the team in scoring three times and only exceeded Sunday night's 33 minutes twice.

Reado hadn't been much of a factor in A&M's 11-game winning streak to reach the Sweet 16. She had only 18 points in A&M's three games at the Big 12 Tournament, including just two points in the championship victory over Oklahoma State.

Blair said not to worry about Reado in the interview room after that game, that she'd be back.

She proved Blair correct Monday night.

"She came out and gave me the game of a lifetime," Blair said.

Reado hit a soft 14-foot jumper for A&M's first bucket of the second half, then added a pair of layups as A&M never trailed.

"I felt like I had to come out and help my team because Danielle Gant wasn't [playing] in the second half and she's usually the one in there getting the rebounds," Reado said.

• Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.

TEXAS A&M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

NO. 2 TEXAS A&M VS. NO. 1 TENNESSEE

NCAA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Ford Center in Oklahoma City

TV/RADIO: ESPN, Ch. 27/KZNE, 1150 AM

RECORDS: A&M (29-7), Tennessee (33-2)

TEXAS A&M-TENNESSEE LINEUPS

NO. 2 TEXAS A&M (29-7)

NAME POS. HT. CLASS PPG RPG

Takia Starks G 5-8 Jr. 16.4 4.4

A'Quonesia Franklin G 5-3 Sr. 7.9 *4.8

Patrice Reado F 6-0 Sr. 8.4 4.8

Danielle Gant F 5-11 Jr. 14.8 7.2

La Toya Micheaux C 6-3 Jr. 3.7 5.2

NO. 1 TENNESSEE (33-2)

NAME POS. HT. CLASS PPG RPG

Shannon Bobbitt G 5-2 Sr. 9.8 *3.5

Alexis Hornbuckle G 5-11 Sr. 10.2 5.7

Candace Parker F 6-4 Jr. 21.5 8.4

Alberta Auguste F 5-11 Sr. 5.3 2.7

Nicky Anosike C 6-4 Sr. 9.0 7.3

*assists per game