That was a fun game to watch. I think this is gonna be a really fun team and they have a ton of room for growth. Based on what I saw the first couple games, I'm a lot more optimistic about making the tourney than I was before the season.
Billy Kennedy
Miller & Hogg
AU HC Mike Brennan
Texas A&M Basketball
Aggie men's basketball moves to 2-0, breezes past American, 76-53
Both teams had five players on the court. Both teams had 30 seconds to
take a shot. Both teams were awarded three points for baskets made
beyond the arc.
The rules were the same, but Texas A&M’s 76-53 college basketball victory over American University on Monday night just wasn’t fair.
Texas A&M (2-0) was too big and powerful inside for the smaller visitors from Washington D.C., who had no answer for the combination of 6-10, 270-pound Tyler Davis and 6-9, 237-pound freshman Robert Williams. Those two combined for 27 points as the Aggies boasted a 44-22 scoring advantage in the paint.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Aggies complimented their inside dominance with six three-point goals as DJ Hogg, JC Hampton and Eric Vila had two each.
Vila launched a 75-foot heave at the first half buzzer to give the Aggies a 41-20 lead.
“Our length and size in the paint gave them problems obviously,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said.
American coach Mike Brennan concurred.
“They’re big and talented and good at what they do,” Brennan said of the Aggies. “We knew it was going to be a huge challenge.”
It was particularly challenging for 6-10 freshman center Mark Gasperini, who picked up four fouls and just six points and two rebounds while struggling with Davis.
“He had his hands full,” Brennan said. “(Davis) is a physical, good player and knows angles. Mark had to work tonight.”
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Center Tyler Davis spent the evening overpowering the Eagles in the paint and scored 17 points.
Davis hit six of seven shots and five of six free throws to finish with 17 points.
“He’s a special player,” Kennedy said.
“If we get him the ball and he’s got some space to score, he’s pretty effective. We did a good job getting him the ball.
“DJ (Hogg) was effective going to the glass. Tonny (Trocha-Morelos) got his second foul going to the glass. That’s what we want to do … be aggressive.”
Hogg had 12 points, while Williams dropped in 10. Admon Gilder, who was celebrating his birthday, added nine and Vila had eight.
Hogg, who had a game-high nine rebounds said he loved the inside-outside approach and the offense working through Davis.
“It’s beautiful,” Hogg said. “Tyler takes a lot of pressure off us. He needs a double-team to be stopped, otherwise it’s bucket after bucket.”
American (0-2), which lost to Maryland 62-56 last Friday, was led by guards Delante Jones with 18 points and Sa’eefd Nelson with 12.
“American has proven early on they’re a good team,” Kennedy said. “They’re one of the better teams in that (Patriot) league. They were really good against Maryland. I don’t think they played as well against us. Hopefully, we had something to do with it.”
There was no doubt.
A&M limited the Eagles to 35-percent shooting from the field. The Aggies held a 35-33 edge in rebounding and blocked six shots.
A&M also outscored American from the bench, 31-6.
The Aggies took control with a 21-4 first half run over the final 8 1/2 minutes of the half.
Caleb Smith scored a transition layup off an assist from Vila to give the Aggies a 22-15 lead and start the decisive run.
Hogg followed with a baseline jumper, Smith hit pull-up jumper from 15 feet and Davis muscled in a reverse layup before American managed to score again.
Though play got sloppy at times in the second half as Kennedy substituted liberally, A&M led by as many as 32 and always maintained at least a 17-point lead.
The highlight of the second half was a thundering dunk by Williams on an alley-oop pass from Hogg.
The only suspense came with 18:33 showing when Hogg crumpled to the floor with an apparent injury. The Reed Arena crowd became eerily quiet until Hogg got up, limped a bit and then walked off whatever pain he was feeling.
The rules were the same, but Texas A&M’s 76-53 college basketball victory over American University on Monday night just wasn’t fair.
Texas A&M (2-0) was too big and powerful inside for the smaller visitors from Washington D.C., who had no answer for the combination of 6-10, 270-pound Tyler Davis and 6-9, 237-pound freshman Robert Williams. Those two combined for 27 points as the Aggies boasted a 44-22 scoring advantage in the paint.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Aggies complimented their inside dominance with six three-point goals as DJ Hogg, JC Hampton and Eric Vila had two each.
Vila launched a 75-foot heave at the first half buzzer to give the Aggies a 41-20 lead.
“Our length and size in the paint gave them problems obviously,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said.
American coach Mike Brennan concurred.
“They’re big and talented and good at what they do,” Brennan said of the Aggies. “We knew it was going to be a huge challenge.”
It was particularly challenging for 6-10 freshman center Mark Gasperini, who picked up four fouls and just six points and two rebounds while struggling with Davis.
“He had his hands full,” Brennan said. “(Davis) is a physical, good player and knows angles. Mark had to work tonight.”
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Center Tyler Davis spent the evening overpowering the Eagles in the paint and scored 17 points.
“He’s a special player,” Kennedy said.
“If we get him the ball and he’s got some space to score, he’s pretty effective. We did a good job getting him the ball.
“DJ (Hogg) was effective going to the glass. Tonny (Trocha-Morelos) got his second foul going to the glass. That’s what we want to do … be aggressive.”
Hogg had 12 points, while Williams dropped in 10. Admon Gilder, who was celebrating his birthday, added nine and Vila had eight.
Hogg, who had a game-high nine rebounds said he loved the inside-outside approach and the offense working through Davis.
“It’s beautiful,” Hogg said. “Tyler takes a lot of pressure off us. He needs a double-team to be stopped, otherwise it’s bucket after bucket.”
American (0-2), which lost to Maryland 62-56 last Friday, was led by guards Delante Jones with 18 points and Sa’eefd Nelson with 12.
“American has proven early on they’re a good team,” Kennedy said. “They’re one of the better teams in that (Patriot) league. They were really good against Maryland. I don’t think they played as well against us. Hopefully, we had something to do with it.”
There was no doubt.
A&M limited the Eagles to 35-percent shooting from the field. The Aggies held a 35-33 edge in rebounding and blocked six shots.
A&M also outscored American from the bench, 31-6.
The Aggies took control with a 21-4 first half run over the final 8 1/2 minutes of the half.
Caleb Smith scored a transition layup off an assist from Vila to give the Aggies a 22-15 lead and start the decisive run.
Hogg followed with a baseline jumper, Smith hit pull-up jumper from 15 feet and Davis muscled in a reverse layup before American managed to score again.
On the defensive end, Williams slapped a shot by American’s Andrija Matic into the seats to the delight of the 6,043 fans on hand.
On the defensive end, Williams slapped a shot by
American’s Andrija Matic into the seats to the delight of the 6,043 fans
on hand.Though play got sloppy at times in the second half as Kennedy substituted liberally, A&M led by as many as 32 and always maintained at least a 17-point lead.
The highlight of the second half was a thundering dunk by Williams on an alley-oop pass from Hogg.
The only suspense came with 18:33 showing when Hogg crumpled to the floor with an apparent injury. The Reed Arena crowd became eerily quiet until Hogg got up, limped a bit and then walked off whatever pain he was feeling.
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