Texas A&M’s (15-11, 6-7 SEC) miserable SEC skid has continued, as the Arkansas Razorbacks (13-13, 4-9 SEC) have completed the sweep over the Maroon and White, taking game 2 in College Station 78-71, and further damaging the Aggies now-razor thin NCAA Tournament chances.
In one of the more painful viewing experiences from a coverage standpoint, Texas A&M’s once elite guard duo consisting of Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford had reached an ugly level of inconsistency as of late. It continued against the Razorbacks, shooting a combined 8-23 from the field and 0-6 from beyond the arc for 23 points.
Failing to gain any rhythm in the first half, the Aggies trailed 35-31 after a small comeback to bring the game within 4, but even so, credit to Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman for keying in on Taylor and Radford early to virtually eliminate them from the offensive game plan.
The second half didn’t get better shooting-wise, as the Aggies at one point were 0-14 from the field until transfer guard Jace Carter (14 points), one of the few bright spots on the night, hit his third 3-pointer to keep his squad in reach, but A&M’s 12 turnovers on the night continued to kill any offensive momentum.
With four minutes remaining, Radford’s two consecutive layups provided a small opening for the Aggies to get within striking distance, leading to a potential three-point play by Wade Taylor. After Taylor missed the free throw, forward Andersson Garcia’s offensive rebound failed to produce points, and Radford’s 3-point miss led Razorbacks guard Tramon Mark sustaining yet another foul on his 3-point make.
Spoiling their last whiff of a potential comeback, Mark would score 9 of his game-high 26 points to finish the Aggies off in the final three minutes.
The Bottom line: While it seemed like Arkansas was getting a one-on-one and one opportunity on every possession, Texas A&M’s defense needed to prioritize Tramon Marks’ ability to hit open jumpers. Still, in one of their worst offensive showings of the season, A&M missed 14 shots at the stripe (25-39), ultimately losing them the game.
With a trip to No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday night, the Volunteers are seeking revenge after falling to the Aggies less than two weeks ago, while head coach Buzz Williams’ squad is now squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble with five more games to prove their worth.
Wade Taylor IV: 11 points / 2 rebounds / 9 assists
Tyrece Radford: 12 points / 8 rebounds
Henry Coleman III: 12 points / 6 rebounds
Andersson Garcia: 8 points / 15 rebounds
Arkansas top contributors:
Tramon Mark: 26 points / 6 rebounds
Makhi Mitchell: 22 points / 13 rebounds
Texas A&M will hit the road to face No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN.
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 Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.