No. 23 Ags use 'near-perfect' performance to beat No. 21 Buckeyes, 78-64
All the preseason hype and lofty expectations for Texas A&M basketball were justified.
That was proven without a doubt on Friday night at Reed Arena. Evidence was found at the free throw line, on the defensive end and on the boards.
The No. 23 Aggies (3-1) put on a near-perfect display of their style of play to post an emphatic 78-64 victory over No. 21 Ohio State at Reed Arena.
“I thought (Ohio State) played really hard,” said A&M guard Wade Taylor IV. “I just think our defensive scheme and our intensity kind of overwhelmed them. I’m just excited our guys came to play tonight.”
A&M converted 32-of-40 free throws. The Aggies also out-rebounded the taller Buckeyes 39-33. As a result, they had 16 second-chance points to Ohio State’s nine.
A&M also limited Ohio State to eight 3-pointers. The Buckeyes hit 14 in their season-opening win over Texas. The Aggies also held Ohio State to just 33.9 percent shooting. The Buckeyes shot just 21.9 percent in the first half when A&M took control of the game.
Indeed, A&M was in control almost from the outset. Ohio State, which opened the season with an eight-point victory against Texas, led 3-0 for the first three minutes, but A&M dominated the other 37.
Tenacious defense and consistent free-throw shooting allowed the Aggies to hold a 31-22 lead at halftime.
The Aggies drew a dozen Ohio State fouls. They capitalized by converting 15-of-18 free throw attempts.
“We had a lot of mismatches,” guard Manny Obaseki said. “We had to take them. They couldn’t guard us, so they just started fouling. We got to the bonus pretty quickly, so I think we executed the game plan.”
On the defensive end, the Aggies swarmed like a disturbed wasp nest. The Buckeyes struggled to find open looks as the shot clock ran down.
“I do think defensively we were tremendous in the first half,” A&M head coach Buzz Williams said. “Analytically, I would say it’s the best 20 minutes we’ve had.”
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler did not disagree.
“I thought they sped us up on offense when we got to half-court,” he said. “This was a tricky game because we wanted to play with great pace against the press, which I felt like we didn’t do in the first half. We did a much better job in the second half.
“Then, when we got in half court, that’s when we wanted to play with more poise. In the first half, that’s when we played sped up. Their defense obviously played a role in that.”
Midway through the first half Ohio State had converted just 12 percent of its field goal attempts. When they did get inside, they were often denied. Obaseki blocked two shots, and Pharrel Payne had one.
But A&M struggled from the field, too. The Aggies converted just 24 percent (6-of-25) in the half.
That enabled the Buckeyes to pull within 27-22 on a 3-pointer by guard Meechie Johnson Jr. with 1:29 left in the half.
But true to first half form, the Aggies closed the half with two free throws from Hayden Hefner and Obaseki.
A&M maintained the momentum by opening the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers from Zhuric Phelps and Taylor. They provided a 37-22 lead. The margin swelled to as many as 18. It never dipped below 11.
Taylor and Obaseki each finished with 15 points. Phelps had 14, with 12 coming in the second half. Henry Coleman III had 10 of his 12 points in the second half when A&M was protecting its lead.
Maintaining the advantage was especially satisfying because A&M let a nine-point lead slip away in the final minutes of their season-opening loss to Central Florida.
“We got the same test we got at UCF,” Taylor said. “We just wanted to make sure we took the time to realize this was the same test we got, and we needed to make sure we passed this one.”
They passed with flying colors. It was a potential “Quadrant 1” win that could greatly benefit the Aggies in March.
Williams, of course, isn’t looking that far ahead. Coaches typically only pause to enjoy a victory because they immediately focus on the next challenge.
But the Aggies figure to celebrate this win a little bit longer.
“We just want to continue to accumulate the lessons whether we win or lose,” Williams said. “I do think we have to have joy in all of this.
“I think collectively just the maturity from the group is important on what’s the next right thing we need to do and the habits, and the actions and the behaviors that we need to have to continue to push ourselves to be the best we can be.”