Texas A&M men’s basketball made another dominant statement against a conference foe on Wednesday night, as the Aggies defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 88-68, at Reed Arena in College Station.
A back-and-forth battle through the opening minutes of the contest quickly turned into an onslaught from the Aggies, especially in the second half. It wasn’t the cleanest performance from the field, as Bucky McMillan’s squad shot just 41% and 35% from beyond the arc, but four Texas A&M players entered double-digits.
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That list includes graduate forward Rashaun Agee, who notched his sixth double-double of the year. Agee’s outstanding 23-point, 11-rebound performance helped the Maroon and White improve to a 15-4 overall record (5-1 in SEC play). Along with his stellar play in the paint, the Chicago, Illinois, native spread the wealth to his teammates, recording five assists in the victory.
“Mr. All-SEC got me open. He really runs the offense. He was able to get me open. I’m playing with confidence and have so many people who have belief in me. It makes me feel good,” Texas A&M guard Rylan Griffen said.
The impressive performance from the Aggies marks a much-needed Quad 3 win, as McMillan leads his team one step closer to securing a postseason bid in his first season at the helm.
Texas A&M displayed much improvement from the free-throw line against the Bulldogs, as they shot 96% from the charity stripe. One of the most impressive aspects of Wednesday’s win against MSU was McMillan’s game plan to keep Josh Hubbard from scoring at will. Hubbard was averaging 22.3 points entering the mid-week matchup against the Aggies, but the Maroon and White held the talented guard to just 12 points.
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The consistency must continue for Texas A&M moving forward, especially if the program wants to increase its hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Competing in March Madness after having just one scholarship player on the roster when he arrived would be an astonishing career-feat for McMillan, as he looks to revamp the perception of Aggie basketball and make College Station a go-to for the best players in the country.
It is a “one game at a time” mentality for this year’s unit, however. The next step toward postseason aspirations happens Saturday, as the Aggies prepare to face South Carolina at Reed Arena. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M basketball moves to 5-1 in SEC play with 88-68 win over MSU
