Post Game: Texas A&M get back in the win column with a 73-69 over the LSU Tigers
Texas A&M (11-7, 2-3 SEC) evens the series at one apiece with a win on the road over the LSU Tigers (11-7, 3-2 SEC) on Saturday afternoon.
It was another rough start for the Aggies, falling behind early 10-2 in the first six minutes as Wade Taylor IV picked up a quick two fouls and had to hit the bench. A&M started to find a little rhythm, with Hayden Hefner and Jace Carter knocking down a several three-pointers to pull the Aggies within three points.
A low-scoring first half played into the hands of Buzz William’s team, keeping the game close from the three-point line, as surprising as that sounds. They struggled from everywhere else offensively, however, and perimeter defense continued to be an issue to close out the half. However, with Taylor spending most of the first half sitting due to foul trouble, the Aggies went into halftime in closing distance only down 34-32.
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Offensive rebounding or, better yet, tapouts gave A&M an impressive 24-0 second-chance point advantage, giving way to a 9-3 run led by a quick seven points from Taylor, giving A&M a 42-38 lead early and forcing LSU to take a timeout. A spirited few minutes and open three-pointers let the Tigers claw back in it to take a 51-52 lead.
Texas A&M stormed back with their own run that was highlighted by tough defense and, you guessed it, offensive rebounding to pull back up 59-54 with under nine minutes remaining. With Taylor getting his fourth foul, Buzz had to sit him, and LSU took advantage, hitting back-to-back threes to go up 65-63 as the team traded runs.
The game remained tight until the final seconds ticked down, as Taylor hit two big free throws to put the Aggies up 72-69 with 12 seconds remaining. LSU responded by penetrating to the basket, and great defense by Solomon Washington denied the score and forced an essential game-sealing foul. He would hit one of two free throws to close the contest and give the A&M a 73-69 win.
Below are the Aggies critical contributors from the game:
Wade Taylor IV: 19 points / 5 rebounds / 4 assists
Tyrece Radford: 15 points / 9 rebounds
Jace Carter: 13 points / 6 rebounds
Andersson Garcia: 10 points / 10 rebounds
NOTE: Henry Coleman III was back in the lineup after missing the Arkansas game
Texas A&M will return home on January 23 to take on the Missouri Tigers at 8:00 PM CST in Reed Arena.
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