The 25th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (21-8, 13-3 SEC) are still riding the magic carpet that is their six-game winning streak, just days after defeating the 11th-ranked Tennessee Vols inside Reed Arena on Tuesday night to the tune of 12,989 Aggies in attendance. On Saturday, it was time to hit the road once again to face perhaps the most dangerous “bubble” team in College Basketball, as Humphrey Coliseum awaited Texas A&M’s 2:30 PM afternoon showdown against Mississippi State (19-10, 7-9 SEC).
Ranked inside the Top 10 in total defense, the Bulldogs steadily prepared for a rock fight, knowing that slowing down Texas A&M’s offense early would result in consistent offensive output on their end while taking full advantage of senior forward Tolu Smith’s height differential in the paint.
After a close first half and a short Aggie run early in the second, Mississippi State put on a defensive juggernaut while holding Texas A&M scoreless for over twelve minutes in the second half, defeating the Aggies 69-62 to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive while ending Texas A&M’s six-game winning streak. Dropping to 13-3 in the SEC, the Aggies are now on the outside looking in terms of a regular season conference championship, yet are safely in the NCAA Tournament as we sit here today.
In the loss, guard Wade Taylor IV recorded his third 20-plus-point game with 21 points and 4-9 from three, while Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia scored 11 each on the day. For Mississippi State, three players hit double-digit scoring including Tolu Smith (17 points, 6 rebounds), Cameron Matthews (11 points, 5 rebounds), and Shakeel Moore (14 points, 4 rebounds).
Practically shut down from the field in the second half, the Aggies shot 39.5%, and 36.4% from 3-point range on the day, matching the Bulldogs with 31 rebounds. The team went 20-26 (76.9%) from the free-throw line, resulting in a bulk of their offense down the stretch.
The first half started just about as well as Mississippi State Head coach Chris Jans could have asked for, soaring out to a 21-14 lead at the eleven-minute mark after a 9-4 run, and shooting a highly efficient 80% from the field. However, the Aggies were once again able to rely on the hot hand of sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV, who capped off a 7-2 run with his third three-pointer (9 points) on the afternoon, trailing 24-21 at the 7:49 Official T.V Timeout.
Aggies forward and Mississippi State transfer Andersson Garcia’s return back to Humphrey…
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