Texas A&M’s (14-8, 5-4 SEC) strong second-half run was more than enough to sweep the season series vs the hapless Missouri Tigers (8-15, 0-10 SEC) 79-60 on Wednesday night behind an even scoring effort and tremendous defense.
Sitting with an average record of 4-4 in SEC play, the Aggies made their way to Columbia to face the Missouri Tigers on Wednesday night, who have yet to earn a conference win in nine attempts this season. However, playing on the road in any SEC environment is never easy.
Look to start out hot and establish early momentum; A&M played as energized as ever behind an efficient offensive attack while shooting 43% from the field, coupled with their usual rebounding dominance (23-14 rebound advantage) in the first half. However, the Aggies’ tempo led to an impressive 16-0 run to finish the half, holding the Tigers’ with a nearly eight-minute scoring drought on the defensive end.
Attacking the paint at will, veteran guard Tyrece Radford, who was coming off his 26-point performance in last Saturday’s win vs. Florida, led the team with 10 first-half points. In comparison, senior forward Andersson Garcia’s All-SEC-like performance was the most impactful, netting 5 points and 11(!) rebounds, coupled with forward Henry Coleman’s efficient 8 points and 4 boards. Star point guard Wade Taylor IV was relatively quiet, recording six points and three assists on 2-6 shooting. Texas A&M led 38-25 at halftime.
Second Half:
With a double-digit lead providing a slight cushion, Missouri began to battle back, going on their own 7-2 run to open the half, while the Aggies started off sloppy, as the Tigers changed things up defensively in the paint. The Aggie’s offensive game plan changed as the lead dwindled: get fouled and make your free throws.
After Henry Coleman left the game due to an apparent midsection injury, Tyrece Radford took control. He drove to his left for a basket or got to the free throw line, scoring seven of A&M’s nine points to take a 56-45 lead with under ten minutes remaining. Under the radar, transfer guard Jace Carter was highly efficient, shooting 50% from the floor, including 2-4 from beyond the arc.
Getting everyone involved, the Aggie’s performance free throw line (15-19) paired with Wade Taylor’s late offensive output sealed the game, as the lead ballooned to 75-56 with more than a minute left. Shooting an SEC season-high 47.6% on the night after getting back in rhythm late, the storyline was still Andersson Garcia’s consistent toughness in nearly every metric, while the Aggies are now 11-1 this season in games where Tyrece Radford scores 20 points or more, scoring a game-high 22 points on the night.
No matter Missouri’s record, this was a significant road win for the Maroon & White, who are now tied for sixth with Florida in the SEC standings.
Note: Henry Coleman III left the game due to an apparent midsection injury
Below are the Aggies critical contributors from the game:
Wade Taylor IV: 18 points / 5 rebounds / 3 assists
Tyrece Radford: 22 points / 4 rebounds
Andersson Garcia: 7 points / 16 rebounds / 5 assists / 2 blocks / 1 steal
Jace Carter: 12 points / 5 rebounds / 2 assists
Missouri’s top contributors:
Tamar Bates: 20 points / 3 rebounds
Nick Honor: 19 points/ 2 assists
Noah Carter: 11 points / 4 rebounds / 2 assists
Next up, the 6th-ranked Tennesse Volunteers will visit the Aggies in College Station on Saturday night. The game will air on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. CT.
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