December 04, 2000
Game #6
Texas A&M Aggies
(2-3)
vs.
Lamar Cardinals
(1-2)
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000
7 p.m. (CST)
Reed Arena (12,500 cap.)
College Station, Texas
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Airtime: 6:40 p.m. (CST)
www.Aggieathletics.com
TELEVISION: KFDM-TV (Beaumont only)
Postgame Satellite Feed:
Galaxy 4R/Transponder 22
9:30-9:45 p.m.
TICKETS:
Status: Available
Courtside $15
Mezzanine $12
Balcony $10
Gallery $6
Ticket Office: 888-99AGGIE
Ticketmaster: 979-268-0414
2000-01 Texas A&M Schedule/Results
Record: 2-3 Overall, 0-0 Big 12
Current Streak L 1
Longest Win Streak 1
Longest Loss Streak 1
All-Time Record 1,068-1,019
11/18 at Geo. Washington L, 94-74
11/20 NORTH TEXAS W, 77-74
11/26 BIRMINGHAM-SO. [CSSE] L, 74-54
11/29 MORRIS BROWN W, 79-46
12/2 at Va. Comm. L, 107-106 (2 ot)
12/5 LAMAR [KFDM] 7 p.m.
12/9 *vs. North Carolina [Fox] 8 p.m.
12/22 at Long Beach St. [Fox] 9:15 p.m.
12/27 %vs. St. Louis 9 p.m.
12/28 %Hawaii/Manhattan TBA
12/29 %Tenn./Detroit/Iowa/G.W. TBA
12/30 %TBA TBA
1/4 CENTENARY 7 p.m.
1/6 KANSAS ST. 3 p.m.
1/9 at Oklahoma 7 p.m.
1/13 at Colorado 6 p.m.
1/17 TEXAS [ESPN+] 8 p.m.
1/20 at Kansas [ESPN+] 3 p.m.
1/24 at Okla. St. 7 p.m.
1/28 IOWA ST. [ESPN+] 3 p.m.
1/30 at Texas [ESPN+] 8 p.m.
2/3 OKLAHOMA [ESPN+] 12:45 p.m.
2/6 BAYLOR [Fox] 7:30 p.m.
2/10 at Texas Tech [ESPN+] 12:45 p.m.
2/14 TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN 7 p.m.
2/17 MISSOURI [ESPN+] 12:45 p.m.
2/21 OKLA. ST. [Fox] 8:30 p.m.
2/24 TEXAS TECH [Fox] 5 p.m.
2/28 at Nebraska 7:05 p.m.
3/3 at Baylor 7 p.m.
3/8-11 #Big 12 Tournament TBA
*Compaq Center (Houston, Texas)
%Rainbow Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii)
#Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Mo.)
Listed game times are Central
Complete statistics available at www.aggieathletics.com
For photos and logos, go to www.aggieathletics.com/media
The Texas A&M Aggies (2-3) try to even their record on Tuesday when
they play the Lamar Cardinals (1-2) at 7 p.m.(CST) at Reed Arena
(12,500 cap.) in College Station. The Aggies dropped to 2-3 after
losing a wild 107-106 double overtime game to Virginia Commonwealth on
Saturday in Richmond, Va. Lamar is coming off a 60-53 loss on Saturday
to Rice in Beaumont. Lamar is 1-0 on the road this season while A&M is
2-1 at home. The Cardinals defeated the Aggies, 76-69, in overtime
last season in Beaumont.
About the Cardinals
Lamar returns two starters and five lettermen from last year's NCAA
Tournament team that finished 15-16 overall and tied for sixth in the
Southland Conference at 8-10. The Cardinals advanced to the NCAAs
after winning the SLC tournament. They fell in the first round of the
NCAA East Regional to Duke, 82-55. The Cardinals opened this season
with a 78-69 road victory at Texas Southern before dropping
consecutive home games to SMU (92-70) and Rice (60-53). The Cardinals
are led by sophomore guard Joey Ray (5-10), who is averaging 16.0
points and has made 9-o-f11 (.818) from three-point range. Sophomore
forward Lewis Arline (6-6) adds 12.7 points and an impressive 9.7
rebounds, while sophomore guard Eddie Robinson (6-3) is averaging 11.0
points. Senior guard Kenyon Spears (6-3), an honorable mention All-SLC
pick last year, is adding 7.7 points per game. As a team, Lamar is
allowing just 39.4 percent field goal accuracy.
A&M vs. Lamar Series
Lamar leads the series, 7-5, but A&M has a 5-1 edge in games played in
College Station. The Cardinals won last year in overtime, 76-69, in
Beaumont. The last time the team met in College Station was in
1998-99, with A&M posting a 77-69 victory at Reed Arena.
TEXAS A&M VS. LAMAR SERIES
Year Result Site
1953-54 Lamar 88, A&M 68 Beaumont
1961-62 A&M 55, Lamar 51 College Station
1962-63 Lamar 81, A&M 74 Beaumont
1968-69 Lamar 98, A&M 87 College Station
1970-71 A&M 87, Lamar 82 College Station
1979-80 Lamar 61, A&M 60 Anchorage, Alaska*
1981-82 A&M 60, Lamar 58 College Station#
1985-86 Lamar 68, A&M 59 Houston@
1988-89 A&M 74, Lamar 72 College Station
Lamar 74, A&M 67 Beaumont
1998-99 A&M 77, Lamar 69 College Station
1999-00 Lamar 76, A&M 69(ot) Beaumont
*Great Alaska Shootout
#Postseason NIT
@The Summit (now the Compaq Center)
Watkins Quoteboard
"I was proud of how we didn't quit against Virginia Commonwealth. We
didn't have the execution we needed at the end of the game, but we are
starting to grow as a team. We felt like we didn't play very well last
year against Lamar and they beat us at their place. I know many of our
players remember that. Some of our players are becoming more
assertive, and that's something we've been striving for."
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (2-3)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
4 Jamaal Gilchrist G 6-0 So. 10.2 2.3
32 Bernard King G 6-5 So. 14.4 4.4a
24 Carlton Brown F 6-6 Sr. 13.8 7.2
5 Nick Anderson F 6-6 Fr. 7.6 7.0
2 Keith Bean F 6-8 So. 9.0 4.0
TEXAS A&M INJURIES: TOMAS RESS, Sophomore Forward: Staph infection
(probable); LARRY SCOTT, Sophomore Guard: Sprained ankle (will not
play); ANDY SLOCUM, Sophomore Center: Shoulder tendonitis (will not
play)
LAMAR CARDINALS (1-2)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
10 Kenyon Spears G 6-3 Sr. 7.7 4.0a
13 Eddie Robinson G 6-3 So. 11.0 2.0a
21 Ron Austin F 6-3 So. 6.0 3.3
33 Terrell Pettaway F 6-7 So. 5.0 4.7
24 Brian Rowan C 6-10 Fr. 3.3 3.7
TALE OF THE TAPE
Statistic A&M Lamar
W-L Record 2-3 1-2
Sagarin Rtg. 232 195
Scoring 78.0 67.0
Opp. Scoring 79.0 73.7
Scoring Margin -1.0 -6.7
FG Pct. .450 .447
Opp. FG Pct. .439 .394
3-Pt. Pct. .275 .347
Opp. 3-Pt. Pct. .345 .306
3-Pt. FG 5.0 5.7
Opp. 3-Pt. FG 7.8 7.3
FT Pct. .730 .689
Opp. FT Pct. .681 .637
Off. Reb. 14.8 10.3
Total Rebounds 41.0 35.0
Reb. Margin +7.4 -6.3
Assists 14.6 10.0
Turnovers 19.8 14.7
Blocks 1.6 2.7
Steals 5.8 3.0
Fouls 23.6 22.3
Head Coaches
TEXAS A&M:
Melvin Watkins
(UNC Charlotte ee77)
*22-37, 3rd year at A&M
*64-57, 5th year overall
*4-2 vs. Mike Deane
*1-1 vs. Lamar
LAMAR:
Mike Deane
(Potsdame State ee74)
*16-18 in 2nd year at Lamar
*306-175 in 17th year overall
*2-4 vs. Melvin Watkins
*2-0 vs. Texas A&M
VCU Recap
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) u Willie Taylor scored 12 of his 23 points in the
second overtime Saturday night, and Virginia Commonwealth hung on for
a 107-106 victory over Texas A&M. The Rams (4-2), led by 10 with 58
seconds remaining in the second overtime before the Aggies (2-3) hit
four 3-pointers in the last 35 seconds. The Rams hit 19 of 26 from the
free throw line in the second overtime to offset the Aggies' 3-point
barrage. Bo Jones hit a 3-pointer with 12.9 seconds remaining in the
first overtime to tie the game at 84. In regulation, Jones gave the
Rams a 76-74 lead with 10.5 seconds remaining on a three-point play.
Jamaal Gilchrist tied the game with two free throws with 2.9 seconds
remaining. Gilchrist had missed the first free throw but the miss was
waved off by an official, who called a "disconcertion violation"
against the VCU crowd for shaking the goal standard. The Aggies were
17 of 17 from the line in the second half. Jones had 29 points and
Domonic Jones 20 to lead five Rams in double figures. Bernard King led
the Aggies with 22 points. Carlton Brown tossed in 20 points and
grabbed 18 rebounds, leading the Aggies to a 54-37 edge on the boards.
Keith Bean had 17 points for the Aggies, Gilchrist 15 and Nick
Anderson 11. The game had 59 fouls and 87 free throw attempts.
Last Year's Lamar Game
BEAUMONT, Texas (Dec. 18, 2000) u Lamar claimed a 76-69 victory in
overtime at home on Saturday over Texas A&M, overcoming an unlikely
Aggie comeback. A&M scored 26 unanswered points in the second half,
part of a 29-3 run in the final 9:05 that erased a 25-point Lamar
lead. Landon Rowe was the leading scorer for Lamar (3-4) with 19
points. Bobby Manheimer chipped in with 17, and Kenyon Spears had 16,
along with 10 rebounds. A&M (3-4) lost despite a strong performance
from Bernard King, who had 31 points, including 7 of 15 from beyond
the three-point line. King scored 15 points in the 26-0 run. Jamaal
Gilchrist added 11 while Aaron Jack tied his career-high with 11
rebounds. Gilchrist's three-pointer with nine seconds left in
regulation tied the score, 64-64, and forced overtime. Lamar led at
halftime, 26-24. The Aggies outrebounded Lamar, 42-37. King set a
school record with his 15 three-point attempts, while his seven
three-point field goals made were one shy of the school mark. King's
26 points after halftime set a Big 12 record for most points in a
half.
Bouncing Back
After falling to Birmingham Southern, 74-54, on Nov. 26 in what coach
Melvin Watkins said was the "most embarrassing" loss of his career,
the Aggies faced what Watkins called a "must-effort" game against
Morris Brown last Wednesday. As a result of the team's poor
performance against BSC, Watkins called a 5:30 a.m. practice the next
morning. The entire team showed up, but rather than practice, spent
two hours watching and dissecting the game film. The Aggies responded
with a 79-46 victory against Morris Brown, the largest margin of
victory in Watkins' five years as a college head coach.
QUICK NOTES
The Aggies (22) Combined with Virginia Commonwealth (23) on Saturday
to set an NCAA record for points in one overtime period with 45. The
old record was 41 set in 1997-98 by Vermont (26) and Hartford (15).
Carlton Brown's 18 rebounds against VCU were the most by an Aggie
since Damon Johnson had 18 against Baylor in 1994-95. The Aggies +17
rebounding margin against VCU was A&M's best in three years. The
Aggies have out-rebounded four straight opponents.
The Aggies made 31-of-36 from the free throw line against VCU, including 19 straight
after halftime. A&M was whistled for 36 fouls against VCU, second
most in school history.
King Rises Again
Sophomore guard Bernard King, the 2000 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and
a preseason All-Big 12 selection, leads the team in scoring with a
14.4 average, despite battling a severe shooting slump. Through the
first four games, King had made just 2-of-20 three-pointers (.100),
but against Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday, he started to find the
range, making 4-of-12 from beyond the arc and finishing with a
season-high 22 points. While King has struggled beyond the arc, he
is 18-of-31 (.581) inside three-point range and leads the team in
assists (5.2). Against Morris Brown, King scored 14 points and dished
out a career-high nine assists. Against North Texas, King scored 17
points with six rebounds, despite not starting for the only time in
his career. Against Birmingham Southern, King scored just five points,
equaling the lowest of his career, and went 0-of-10 from three-point
range.
Leatherman Warms Up
Junior guard Andy Leatherman, a former walk-on who was put on
scholarship this season, scored a career-high 16 points against
Birmingham Southern, then followed with a team-high 15 points against
Morris Brown. In the last three games, he has averaged 13.0 points
while making 9-of-21 from three-point range (42.9 percent). His nine
treys this year already surpasses his season total in 23 games last
year (8-43, .186). He also tied his career-high with five assists
against Morris Brown. For the season. Leatherman is averaging 8.2
points and 2.8 assists per game.
St. Nick Gets Jolly
Freshman Nick Anderson, one of the most heralded Texas A&M basketball
recruits in many years, ranks second on the team in rebounding with a
7.0 average and leads in blocked shots with a 1.2 average. A 2000
Parade High School All-American, Anderson is averaging 7.6 points per
game and has started in all five games. Against North Texas, Anderson
scored 11 points with eight rebounds and three blocked shots in a
team-high 31 minutes of action. Against Morris Brown, Anderson scored
10 points with seven boards and made 5-of-6 shots from the field.
Against Virginia Commonwealth, Anderson posted his first career
double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Anderson was the
preseason choice for Big 12 Freshman of the Year by the league's
coaches and media.
Brown Asserts Himself
Forward Carlton Brown is off to a solid senior season, leading the
team in rebounding (7.2), field goal percentage (.632) and free throw
percentage (.875) and ranking second in scoring (13.8). As a junior
college transfer last season, Brown averaged just 6.9 points and 3.3
rebounds per game. Against Virginia Commonwealth, Brown scored a
season-high 20 points with a career-high 18 rebounds, tying for the
13th most in school history (and the most by an Aggie in six years).
He scored a team-high 15 points in the opener against George
Washington and followed with 14 against North Texas and 13 against
Birmingham Southern. He scored just seven points against Morris Brown,
the first time this season he's failed to reach double figures.
Jack Comes Back
After receiving an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA last
spring, senior forward Aaron Jack, an honorable mention All-Big 12
pick last season, saw his extra year jeopardized when he sustained a
concussion in practice on Oct. 18. Jack suffered three concussions as
a freshman at Penn State in 1995-96, then transferred to A&M. Jack
returned to practice on a limited basis in early November, then
returned full time the day before the opener at George Washington. He
has played in all five games, averaging 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds
while making 54.2 percent from the field. He had eight points with a
season-high nine boards against Morris Brown, then followed with a
9-point, 8-rebound outing against Virginia Commonwealth. Jack has
played in 77 games in an A&M jersey and in 81 games as a collegian,
including four as a freshman at Penn State in 1995-96.
Jamaal Enthralls
Sophomore point guard Jamaal Gilchrist, who started all 28 games last
season as a true freshman, is averaging 10.2 points and 2.4 assists
while making 82.1 percent from the free throw line (32-39). Gilchrist
scored 12 points in each of the first two games, but scored just six
in the loss to BSC. Against Virginia Commonwealth, he scored a
season-high 15 points, making 11-of-12 from the free throw line,
including two with 2.9 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
Bean Improves Sophomore Keith Bean, a transfer from North Carolina
State who sat out last season, has started all five games, averaging
9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds. Bean emerged in the second half of the
Virginia Commonwealth game, finishing with a career-high 17 points,
making 5-of-9 from the field and 7-of-7 from the line. In the last two
games, Bean has averaged 13.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while making
10-of-16 from the field (.625) and 7-of-10 from the line (.700) in
just 23.0 minutes per game.
Cleaning the Glass
After being out-rebounded, 36-33, in the opener against George
Washington, A&M has out-boarded four straight opponents by an average
margin of +10.0. The +17 margin against Virginia Commonwealth (54-37)
was A&M's best in three years. A&M grabbed just six offensive rebounds
in the opener, but in the four games since has averaged 17.0 offensive
boards per game. Meanwhile, after GW posted 15 offensive rebounds in
the opener, the Aggies have allowed their opponents just 12.0
offensive boards in the last four games.
Slocum Out
Sophomore center Andy Slocum, who started in 14 games as a freshman,
will likely miss the entire season after undergoing arthroscopic
surgery for tendonitis in his left shoulder last week. Slocum injured
the shoulder while lifting weights last summer and was limited in fall
practice as a result. Coach Melvin Watkins said Slocum likely will
redshirt this season. As a freshman, Slocum averaged 4.9 points and
3.1 rebounds per game. Scott Injured Sophomore guard Larry Scott
suffered a severely sprained left ankle in practice on Nov. 28. He
missed the Virginia Commonwealth game and will not play against Lamar.
He possibly could return for the North Carolina game on Saturday.
Scott is averaging 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Ress Returns
Sophomore forward Tomas Ress, who was hospitalized for more than a
week in late October with a staph infection, returned to practice on
Nov. 28 and played seven minutes against Morris Brown, quickly nailed
his first three-point attempt of the season after entering the game.
He played just five minutes against Virginia Commonwealth and did not
score. As his physical conditioning catches up, Ress will likely see
increased playing time. As a freshman, Ress started in 12 games and
averaged 4.6 points, including a career-high 22 points against
Missouri.
Improved Charity
When Melvin Watkins arrived as A&M's head coach in 1998, one of the
Aggies greatest weaknesses was their free throw shooting. In 1997-98,
the Aggies set a school record for the worst free throw percentage in
school history, making just 57.9 percent to finish last in the Big 12.
In 1998-99, the Aggies improved to 68.9 percent, third in the
conference, and last year made 67.0 percent to rank seventh in the
league. Through five games this season, the Aggies are making 73.0
percent. Watkins' two teams at North Carolina Charlotte each led
Conference USA in FT percentage.