Texas A&M (15-8, 6-4 SEC) upset the No. 6-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (17-6, 7-3 SEC) 85-69 inside Reed Arena on Saturday after an impressive showing from Wade Taylor and Tyrece Radford.
The Aggies got off to a hot start, playing aggressively and shooting efficiently everywhere on the court to grab a 22-15 halfway through the first 10 minutes of the game. Wade Taylor IV was feeling it early, hitting three after three and causing havoc on the defensive side of the ball as well.
Tennessee did an excellent job of answering back, but A&M kept the pressure up, never allowing the Vols to gain any ground, holding on to a 39-26 late in the first half. Taylor and Tyrece Radford combined for 27 points to close out the half. Taylor did his damage from deep, going 5-7 from the three-point line, while “Boots” Radford attacked the basket relentlessly. The Aggies were a step ahead of the Vols, with a 42-26 lead going into the locker room.
up at the break in reed pic.twitter.com/p0ywxNmyro
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) February 11, 2024
Out of the half, both teams missed a pair of shots, but a dose of solid defense by the Aggies led to a Soloman Washington three, causing Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes to call a timeout. The timeout did little to help as they remained behind the ball, falling by 20.
Radford followed his strong first half with a solid start to the second half with seven points in the first 6 minutes. The pestering Aggie defense was causing visible frustration to the Vols ball handlers, forcing them into turnovers that would lead to points as A&M held a 57-36 lead at the 11:30 mark in the half.
Tennessee tried to mount a comeback, stretching the defense full court and cutting the lead 12 as the Aggies started to go a little cold from the field. However, A&M got things together and extended the lead to 19 points with under a minute left.
The elite duo of Taylor and Radford combined for 52 points, while the duo of Andersson Garcia and Soloman Washington combined for 24 rebounds. Texas A&M is starting to look like a Top-25 team again, knocking off the No. 6 Tennessee Vols 85-69.
With the victory, A&M has earned their sixth all-important Quad 1 win, with plenty of opportunities to add to their NCAA Tournament resume in the next two weeks.
NOTE: Andersson Garcia eclipses the 500-career rebounding mark in the first half.
Below are the Aggies critical contributors from the game:
Wade Taylor IV: 25 points / 3 rebounds / 7 assists
Tyrece Radford: 27 points / 5 rebounds / 5 assists
Andersson Garcia: 6 points / 17 rebounds
Soloman Washington: 11 points / 7 rebounds / 3 blocks
Tennessee’s top contributors:
Dalton Knecht: 22 points / 7 rebounds
Zakai Zeigler: 15 points / 6 assist
Texas A&M will return on the road to take on Vanderbilt on February 13 at 6:00 p.m. CT.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.