Ags receive message and crack century mark in rout of Texas Southern

Game #2: Texas A&M 104, Texas Southern 70
Records: Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0), Texas Southern (0-2, 0-0)
Box Score

In the final seconds before facing Texas Southern, Texas A&M basketball coach Bucky McMillan gave the Aggies some final instructions.

“I told our guys before we walked out for the game to psychology prepare yourself that in the last four minutes we’re going to have to make game-winning plays to win this game,” McMillan said. “You’ve got to play this game to win. Don’t play not to lose.”

The Aggies got the message.

They used a second-half surge to wear out the visiting Tigers (0-2) and romp to a 104-70 victory before 6,821 at Reed Arena.

The Aggies’ triple-digit outburst was their highest score since defeating Savannah State 113-66 on Dec. 13, 2017. They exceeded 100 points for the first time since 2021 when they blew out Dallas Christian 102-52 on Dec. 27, 2021.

During the dominant second half, A&M (2-0) shot 60.6 percent from the field (20-of-33), hit seven 3-pointers, converted 16 of 21 free throws and captured eight steals en route to scoring 63 points.

“I think that’s a product of how we play, is we use a lot of guys. We play really fast. We play like this all the time,” McMillan said. “Hopefully, we can keep leaning on another team so that their defense breaks down in the second half more and more and more.

“Hopefully, we have enough depth that we’re coming in there. We’re strong. We’re able to get to the paint more, be fresh and get out in transition.

“I think that happened. I think fatigue was a factor. Our depth was a factor.”

Depth was definitely a factor. The Aggies scored 54 points from the bench. Forward Rashaun Agee scored 16 points to lead five Aggies in double figures.

Rylan Griffen had 14. Marcus Hill had 13, Josh Holloway had 12, and Rubén Dominguez had 10.

Texas Southern, which shot 44 percent in the second half, was led by guard Cameron Patterson with 18 points.

Overall, the Aggies forced 23 turnovers, which they turned into 32 points. They also had 23 assists.

“When you can have 23 assists and force 23 turnovers, you’re probably going to have success,” McMillan said.

McMillan told his team to expect to get Texas Southern’s best shot. He was right.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Texas A&M shot 12-of-32 from behind the arc. Through two games, A&M has made 23 triples.

The Aggies got off to a hot start. Griffen and Holloway hit 3-pointers, and Agee converted a three-point play for an early 16-9 lead.

Texas Southern answered with a 14-1 run. A&M fought back, but the Tigers maintained a 34-33 lead on Patterson’s three-point play with 3:20 left in the half.

Texas Southern might have extended the margin when 6-foot-10 forward Jordan Gorecki got inside for a layup.

However, Agee drew a roar from the crowd by swooping in to block the shot. That defensive gem ignited the Aggies.

Griffen immediately drilled a fade-away 3-pointer from the right wing. Also, Dominguez hit three consecutive free throws and beat the shot clock with a mid-lane floater to cap an 8-0 run that gave A&M a 41-36 edge at the break.

A&M never let up in the second half. Griffen hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to launch an 8-0 run for a 54-40 lead.

The margin never again dipped below 12 points and reached as much as 36.

The slow start and the fast finish may be predictable. The roster is filled with transfers. The more time they play together, the better they figure to get.

“We’re still a new team with a new coach,” Griffen said. “(We have) 14 players. I don’t know how many coaches we’ve got, but they’re all new. It’s just about getting used to each other.

“It’s a long season. You’re going to have ups and downs in a game and in a season. It’s just about fighting through adversity. I’m happy that this team didn’t let having a subpar first half dictate our energy and our attitude and effort on the bench and stuff like that.

“I feel like that’s something great teams do.”