Photo by Kirby Clarke, TexAgs
Texas A&M Basketball
Texas A&M embarrasses LSU, 71-38, to reach SEC Tournament final
It was decided when: The Aggies went on a 22-2 run over a 14 ½-minute span and took a 35-13 halftime lead.
The turning point: Tonny Trocha-Morelos entered the game with 14:33 showing in the first half and A&M trailing 8-3. He quickly hit a pair of three-pointers to give the Aggies momentum and they never looked back.
Star of the game: Trocha-Morelos scored a career-high 13 points in 13 minutes. He also had three rebounds and blocked two shots.
Key stat: A&M’s bench outscored LSU’s, 42-10. In fact, A&M’s bench outscored LSU’s entire team and A&M’s starters. Also, LSU was held to an SEC Tournament record low 20.6 percent shooting (13 of 63).
Next: The Aggies face Kentucky at noon on Sunday in the SEC Tournament championship game.
NASHVILLE — Asked in a press conference about his new five-year contract, Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Kennedy teared up.
Instead, he should have asked to renegotiate after the Aggies overwhelmed LSU, 71-38, on Saturday in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgetown Arena.
“I’m just thankful,” Kennedy said while choking up. “I love Texas A&M and it’s been a journey, and I’m just proud for these guys and to get the opportunity to coach them for a long time.”
That emotional moment was the only time the Aggies let their guard down.
The 17th-ranked Aggies (26-7) frustrated Ben Simmons, Craig Victor and perhaps everyone living east of the Sabine to post the stunningly easy victory and advance to Sunday’s finals against Kentucky.
TexAgs
Tonny Trocha-Morelos provided a memorable spark and led the charge for the Texas A&M bench, which made the greatest difference in the game.
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A&M limited LSU (19-14) to a record-low 20.6 percent shooting (13 of 63), blocked six shots, allowed Simmons a mere 10 points and held Victor scoreless.
“We didn’t do anything abnormal,” Kennedy said. “That’s the same way we played them at home (a 71-57 win). Coach Kyle Keller did a tremendous job with the scout preparing our team. That’s kind of what we do.”
Meanwhile, A&M’s bench ignited a slow-starting offense. Tonny Trocha-Moreleos came off the bench to score a game-high 13 points, Admon Gilder had 10 and D.J. Hogg had nine.
In fact, the Aggies' bench outscored LSU’s entire team, 42-38.
But defense remained the focus against the frustrated Tigers who were without injured Keith Hornsby and played with Simmons and Victor in foul trouble. Victor played just 15 minutes.
The Aggies held LSU to its lowest offensive output of the season as the Tigers set a dubious record for futility. Their shooting percentage was the lowest in the SEC Tournament’s modern era (since 1979).
“I thought we did a really good job of being physical and walling up and forcing them to take some really tough shots,” Kennedy said.
To prove that point, LSU managed just 14 points in the paint and the Tigers could not compensate from the perimeter. They converted just 5 of 27 attempts from three-point range.
“We came out and played some tough defense,” said Davis, who blocked three shots. “We made our mind up that we had to be the tougher team.
“Obviously, they had a lot shots that didn’t fall. They missed some layups. I really give it to my guys for playing so hard and helping the bigs on the boards so much, and also making shots.”
The Aggies' defensive effort was so spectacular that a sputtering start on the offensive end was almost forgotten.
LSU actually held an 8-3 early lead as the Aggies missed nine of their 10 field goal attempts.
“I was frustrated, not because I wasn’t getting the ball but because we were taking quick shots,” said Davis, who finished with six points. “We were putting up threes and taking quick shots off ball screens. We know against a team like that we have to get the ball moving and we’ll get the shots we want.”
The Aggies seemed to get those shots when Trocha-Morelos entered the fray.
He quickly nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key. Then he hit another.
By then, A&M was cruising. Danuel House answered Blakeney’s three-pointer with a baseline jumper. Then, Gilder all but settled the issue with a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 35-13 halftime lead.
“They started making shots and they started feeding off of it,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. “Unfortunately for us, we sat there in the first half and got a couple of fouls, got a couple guys in foul trouble and I thought we lost little bit of our edge, a little bit of our flow.
“Unfortunately, going in at halftime with only 13 points, which is a low for us, and coming back out in the second half (it was) more of the same.”
Indeed it was. By then, the Aggies were playing loose and having fun with a series of dunks and alley-oops.
“It was so much fun that I got a technical,” said Trocha-Morelos, who was called for hanging on the rim after finishing off an alley-oop pass from Caruso. “I think the bench and everybody enjoyed the dunk as much as I did, but we just focused on keep playing hard and get the win.”
Getting the victory was never in doubt.
“We played really good,” Kennedy said. “They had a bunch of freshmen on the court who had never been in an SEC semifinal tournament game. We’ve got veterans, fifth-year seniors, who have been through it and who have led our guys.
"So, it was a perfect storm for us in this situation.”
The turning point: Tonny Trocha-Morelos entered the game with 14:33 showing in the first half and A&M trailing 8-3. He quickly hit a pair of three-pointers to give the Aggies momentum and they never looked back.
Star of the game: Trocha-Morelos scored a career-high 13 points in 13 minutes. He also had three rebounds and blocked two shots.
Key stat: A&M’s bench outscored LSU’s, 42-10. In fact, A&M’s bench outscored LSU’s entire team and A&M’s starters. Also, LSU was held to an SEC Tournament record low 20.6 percent shooting (13 of 63).
Next: The Aggies face Kentucky at noon on Sunday in the SEC Tournament championship game.
NASHVILLE — Asked in a press conference about his new five-year contract, Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Kennedy teared up.
Instead, he should have asked to renegotiate after the Aggies overwhelmed LSU, 71-38, on Saturday in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgetown Arena.
“I’m just thankful,” Kennedy said while choking up. “I love Texas A&M and it’s been a journey, and I’m just proud for these guys and to get the opportunity to coach them for a long time.”
That emotional moment was the only time the Aggies let their guard down.
The 17th-ranked Aggies (26-7) frustrated Ben Simmons, Craig Victor and perhaps everyone living east of the Sabine to post the stunningly easy victory and advance to Sunday’s finals against Kentucky.
TexAgs
Tonny Trocha-Morelos provided a memorable spark and led the charge for the Texas A&M bench, which made the greatest difference in the game.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"Tonny Trocha-Morelos provided a memorable spark and led the charge for the Texas A\u0026M bench, which made the greatest difference in the game.","MediaItemID":68200}
“We didn’t do anything abnormal,” Kennedy said. “That’s the same way we played them at home (a 71-57 win). Coach Kyle Keller did a tremendous job with the scout preparing our team. That’s kind of what we do.”
Meanwhile, A&M’s bench ignited a slow-starting offense. Tonny Trocha-Moreleos came off the bench to score a game-high 13 points, Admon Gilder had 10 and D.J. Hogg had nine.
In fact, the Aggies' bench outscored LSU’s entire team, 42-38.
But defense remained the focus against the frustrated Tigers who were without injured Keith Hornsby and played with Simmons and Victor in foul trouble. Victor played just 15 minutes.
The Aggies held LSU to its lowest offensive output of the season as the Tigers set a dubious record for futility. Their shooting percentage was the lowest in the SEC Tournament’s modern era (since 1979).
“I thought we did a really good job of being physical and walling up and forcing them to take some really tough shots,” Kennedy said.
To prove that point, LSU managed just 14 points in the paint and the Tigers could not compensate from the perimeter. They converted just 5 of 27 attempts from three-point range.
“We came out and played some tough defense,” said Davis, who blocked three shots. “We made our mind up that we had to be the tougher team.
“Obviously, they had a lot shots that didn’t fall. They missed some layups. I really give it to my guys for playing so hard and helping the bigs on the boards so much, and also making shots.”
The Aggies' defensive effort was so spectacular that a sputtering start on the offensive end was almost forgotten.
LSU actually held an 8-3 early lead as the Aggies missed nine of their 10 field goal attempts.
“I was frustrated, not because I wasn’t getting the ball but because we were taking quick shots,” said Davis, who finished with six points. “We were putting up threes and taking quick shots off ball screens. We know against a team like that we have to get the ball moving and we’ll get the shots we want.”
The Aggies seemed to get those shots when Trocha-Morelos entered the fray.
He quickly nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key. Then he hit another.
We played really good. They had a bunch of freshmen on the court who had never been in an SEC semifinal tournament game. We’ve got veterans, fifth-year seniors, who have been through it and who have led our guys.
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Those three-pointers started a 27-2 run over the next 14 ½ minutes that did not end until LSU’s Antonio Blakeney hit a three-pointer with 1:15 left in the half.By then, A&M was cruising. Danuel House answered Blakeney’s three-pointer with a baseline jumper. Then, Gilder all but settled the issue with a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 35-13 halftime lead.
“They started making shots and they started feeding off of it,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. “Unfortunately for us, we sat there in the first half and got a couple of fouls, got a couple guys in foul trouble and I thought we lost little bit of our edge, a little bit of our flow.
“Unfortunately, going in at halftime with only 13 points, which is a low for us, and coming back out in the second half (it was) more of the same.”
Indeed it was. By then, the Aggies were playing loose and having fun with a series of dunks and alley-oops.
“It was so much fun that I got a technical,” said Trocha-Morelos, who was called for hanging on the rim after finishing off an alley-oop pass from Caruso. “I think the bench and everybody enjoyed the dunk as much as I did, but we just focused on keep playing hard and get the win.”
Getting the victory was never in doubt.
“We played really good,” Kennedy said. “They had a bunch of freshmen on the court who had never been in an SEC semifinal tournament game. We’ve got veterans, fifth-year seniors, who have been through it and who have led our guys.
"So, it was a perfect storm for us in this situation.”
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