TUCSON (AP) -- No. 8 Texas A&M's Danielle Gant has been suffering from headaches the last couple of days, but it was Arizona feeling the pain after the Aggies hung on for a 54-44 victory on Tuesday night.

Gant, with a migraine, connected on a key one-on-one move in the lane for a short jumper with 1:26 remaining to put Texas A&M up 50-44 after Arizona had closed the gap on an 11-2 run.

"She is our go to player," Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said. "Danielle wants the ball. She is a double-double waiting to happen."

Gant recorded the eighth double-double of her career with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

She added a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining for the Aggies (4-0) victory.

"The trainer kept saying I don't know if she can go," Blair said with Gant complaining about headaches for the last two days. "I said when we take her out I get a headache. The trainer and I have an understanding, she has to play."

Texas A&M needed all the offensive production it could get after shooting 35 percent from the field. The Aggies relied on its defense instead.

Arizona (3-2) shot 24 percent from the field in the game, but got hot in the final minutes to close the gap to 48-44 with 2:25 left on a Reiko Thomas jumper.

"We gave ourselves a chance to be in the game, that is what I am very proud of them for that," Arizona coach Niya Butts said. "We just couldn't finish it and came up a little short."

Gant played a huge part in the finish. "I was not making my shots in the first half," Gant said. "Coach took me to the side and told me just to calm down. I saw the score was getting close and I knew I had to make a move and make a basket."

Takia Starks added 10 points for the Aggies. Thomas' 10 points led Arizona. Amina Njonkou and Ify Ibekwe had nine points apiece.

Starks pushed A&M ahead by 12 after hitting a 16-foot jumper to spark an 8-0 run to go ahead 41-29.

Texas A&M's full-court pressing defense handcuffed Arizona for a 26-23 lead at halftime. The Aggies are limiting teams to under 50 points and 30 percent shooting from the field so far this season.

"Our defense has won the last three games, our offense is under construction," Blair said. "Our defense is pretty good. That is what has gotten us this far the last few years."

Arizona took a 9-4 edge on a Jhakia McDonald driving lay-in before the Wildcats made one field goal the final 14 minutes. The Aggies forced 13 straight misses during a 15-4 run to build a 19-13 lead.

The Wildcats stayed in contention by making 13 of 14 free throws at halftime.

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