Consistency And Defense Leads Texas A&M To Win Over No. 20 Missouri
Scoreboards often won't tell the full story of a game. A lopsided victory could have been determined in the final minutes of action in some instances. In others, programs can build substantial leads late to make things closer than expected.
For Texas A&M, it was a mix of both Wednesday night at Reed Arena in an 84-62 victory over No. 20 Missouri. Emotions were erratic throughout the night, but strong defensive play late allowed fans to exhale a sigh of relief when the clock struck zeros.
“They’re going to make plays, and it’s a constant tug of war,” Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “Are you going to play the way you want to play that gives your team the best chance or are you going to join them?”
A 21-2 run in the first half pushed Texas A&M out to a commanding 43-25 lead at halftime. The Tigers (13-3, 2-2 SEC) struggled to find any consistency around the rim, shooting a season-low 21.1 percent from the field and going 1-of-10 on three-point attempts.
Entering Wednesday, the Tigers led the SEC in scoring and field goal percentage and ranked second in three-point shooting percentage.
“We never got into a rhythm,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. “I think Buzz did a good job of disrupting a rhythm."
Gates said the Tigers found their identity early in the second half, but couldn't sustain the mojo for all 20 minutes. Missouri became aggressive, forcing 12 second-half turnovers that cut Texas A&M's 21-point lead down to four with just over nine minutes remaining.
Kobe Brown finished with a team-high 12 points, while D’Moi Hodge added another 10. Williams credited the Tigers' full-court press defense as a factor in the early struggles coming out of halftime.
“Missouri is very unique to prepare for, but I don’t want to discount the effort and the togetherness that our guys have played with since Christmas," Williams said. "That’s categorically been the separator.”
Following a three-game losing streak against non-conference opponents, forward Julius Marble said the Aggies returned to working on the basics in practice. Fundamentals have been essential for the program over its five-game win streak to begin conference play, and it ultimately was the difference-maker in the closing minutes from both sides.
Texas A&M capitalized on free-throw attempts, going 24 of 32 at the line. The Aggies netted 13 of their final 32 points thanks to free throws, eight of which came during a 15-3 run. Texas A&M pushed its lead up to 16 with six minutes remaining.
“I thought we just had to breathe and get back to doing what had us successful,” Wade Taylor IV said postgame. “Not worrying about the score, just continue to do what we practice every day.”
Senior guard Tyrece Radford led the Aggies with 16 points while Taylor netted 14. Guard Dexter Dennis finished with 13 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Forward Henry Coleman posted double-digits in points (10) and boards (10).
Marble, Texas A&M's most consistent playmaker during the team's winning streak, netted 11 points and went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.
"He’s playing with a high level of confidence," Williams said of Marble. "Dexter followed up the game of the year — even though he had less points — with a better performance.”
There's been a spark in Aggieland since Texas A&M's NIT Final appearance against Xavier in New York last March. The Aggies picked up their first win in Gainsville, Fla., in their conference-opening win over the Gators last week. They ended their 10-game losing streak to LSU in a lopsided 69-56 win over the weekend.
The Aggies seemed pressed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 thanks to consistent play. Still, much like the scoreboard, Radford said it was best to look at the present instead of the future.
"It was a big win,” he said. “But we have to wake up tomorrow and still practice just like it was a different result. We just can’t get ahead of ourselves. Continue to stick to our roots.”
The Aggies will hit the road to face South Carolina on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CT.
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