Texas A&M seeking elusive victory in Nashville versus Vanderbilt

Nashville offers so many attractions that each year millions of visitors come to the Tennessee state capital for fun and enjoyment.

Unless, of course, Texas A&M’s basketball team is visiting. Trips to Nashville have usually brought futility and misery for the Aggies. Since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012, A&M has traveled to Nashville three times to face Vanderbilt. All three times the Aggies lost, including last year’s 77-60 blowout.

Therefore, the Aggies (13-11, 5-7), who are clawing and scratching to accumulate enough victories to reach postseason play, might be dreading the trip to Nashville on Thursday night.

“It’s one of the toughest places to play in our league,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “The way the court is, they have a good home court advantage. Their students are tied into it. We’re going to have to play well.”

A&M did not do that in an earlier 68-54 loss to Vanderbilt at Reed Arena on Jan. 31.


“At the beginning of the game, we let them come out and hit big shots on us,” A&M freshman forward Robert Williams said. “They got a big lead on us. That’s where we went wrong. In order to win this game, we’re going to have to stop their threes. Anybody can shoot from five to one.”

However, if there is a good time for A&M to venture into Vanderbilt’s quirky Memorial Gymnasium this might be it. The Aggies have recently shown signs of life on the road. They’re 2-2 in their last four road games, but those losses were competitive games against nationally-ranked West Virginia and Florida.

Further, Vanderbilt (12-13, 5-7) has actually been better on the road than at home in SEC play. The Commodores have lost their last four conference games played at Memorial Gym. They’ve also shot better from three-point range and at the foul line on the road than at home.

The Aggies certainly hope that trend continues, but they must play much better than they did in the previous game when the Commodores hit nine three-pointers and had five players score in double figures. Forward Luke Kornet and guard Matthew Fisher-Davis both scored 12 points, and forward Jeff Roberson had 11, while Nolan Cressler had 10 and Joe Toye had 11 off the bench.

The Aggies were led by Tyler Davis with 18 points and Admon Gilder with 11 in that game. But no one else hit double-figures as A&M shot less than 40 percent from the field, 27.8 percent from three-point range and was out-rebounded, 35-30.

“They put five guys around the three-point line,” Kennedy said. “We have a traditional four (power forward) in Robert Williams. I’m glad we have him and Tyler. They did a good job of limiting those guys by double-teaming them and making our perimeter guys beat them.

“They were a tough matchup on the floor and guarding them at the three-point line. I think we’ll be more ready to defend them. Offensively, we’re going to have some other guys step up and score when they do double-team.”