Buzz Williams Pleased With Texas A&M Win vs. Mississippi State
Texas A&M Aggies narrowly defeated the visiting Mississippi State Bulldogs 75-69 on Wednesday during Aggie’s senior night, honoring multiple players, including veteran guard Tyrece Radford and forward Andersson Garcia.
After the game, head coach Buzz Williams spoke to the media to reflect on the win, noting the work ahead regarding the Aggies' tournament hopes.
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A&M took full advantage of the Bulldogs’ sloppy play to start the game, quickly building a double-digit lead focused on transition points and efficiency from deep. The Aggies shot an impressive 7-10 from beyond the arc in the first half, leading to a comfortable 45-32 lead at the half.
"We did a lot of good things defensively in the first half," Buzz Williams said. "I thought Solomon Washington was tremendous. Solo was tremendous on the glass."
Williams emphasized Washington's exceptional performance, particularly his dominance on the rebounding end.
Although the Aggies blew what was a dominant 23-point lead with 15 minutes remaining in the second half, Radford, Taylor, and Washington curbed Mississippi State’s momentum and held on for the victory.
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“We’ve had more turkeys in the last three games than we’ve had in any three-game stretch this season," Williams said. "We’ve done a better job guarding the ball without fouling. Georgia shot three free throws and Mississippi State shot seven. When we can defend without fouling, it comes down to getting rebounds.”
In addition, Williams attributed Mississippi State's late surge in the second half to the Aggies' inability to find a rhythm and take high-percentage shots.
Williams emphasized the need for improvement in securing offensive rebounds moving forward, "We were never in a good groove. Credit to Coach Jans, I think he’s one of the best in the country. We weren’t taking predictable shots."
Williams acknowledges that the Aggies still have a shot at making it to the NCAA Tournament but stresses the importance of staying focused and pushing for improvement. He believes in the team's ability to control their path but recognizes there is still work to do.
