Texas A&M
Dallas Baptist
Texas A&M 91, Dallas Baptist 55
Nov 03, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Middleton, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, scored 20 on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, adding 4 points and 2 assists. Turner, a junior transfer from the University of Washington, hit 4-of-5 from beyond the arc en route to an 18-point, 6-rebound night.
DBU hit six of its first eight shots, before defensive adjustments by the Aggies held the Patriots to 1-of-16 shooting from the floor for the final 14 minutes of the first half. A&M outscored the visitors 25-6 over that stretch to take a 47-21 lead into the locker room.
The Aggies also finished strong in the second half, closing the game on an 18-4 run.
Texas A&M shot 53 percent on the night and out-rebounded DBU, 47 to 23. The Aggies grabbed 18 offensive boards and scored 40 points in the paint.
Also for the Aggies, Ray Turner scored 9, David Loubeau added 7 and Dash Harris poured in 6 points and dished out 6 assists. Ryan Marsh led Dallas Baptist with 18 points.
Texas A&M opens the season on Wednesday, Nov. 9 when the Aggies host Liberty at Reed Arena in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs Cancer Regional Round. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) and the game will be televised by FOX Sports Southwest.
TEXAS A&M POSTGAME QUOTES
ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH GLYNN CYPRIEN
Opening statement: "It was good, I thought the guys played hard. That's my concern this time of the year. We know it's going to be a little bit raggedy this time of the year. It's a new system, a new mentality. We're trying to get the ball up the court as fast as we can. I'm not pleased with the turnovers and assists, but we'll get in the film room and work that out."
On Elston Turner's shooting: "We knew Elston could really shoot it. What concerns me about Elston is his defense. I thought he was pretty good defensively, not great. Elston is a good shooter. He's a coach's son, he knows how to play. We're going to need him to hit shots, I think this year we're going to see a lot of zone and he's a zone buster."
On Elston Turner's versatility and what he brings to the team: "I think it's going to help tremendously. I don't know if you noticed, but there was a stretch where I played him a point guard. He can do that, he's a coach's son, he's just a heavy, steady player."
On Jordan Green and Jamal Branch's play: "It's funny because Jordan ran by me during a timeout and said 'I have to get used to the speed of the game, coach'. It'll be back to the basics with those guys, and those guys have to understand what they need to do for us. Jamal has to play minutes for us. We can't play Dash 40 minutes. Jordan Green I like a lot, his athleticism, he really defends, he's long and wiry."
On Kourtney Roberson's play: "Right now, I think Ray has been really good at practice and that's how we've came up with the five starters. Kourtney had some good minutes. I thought Keith did some good things."
How is it to get out and play another team? "I think it's good. I think we can break it down and get the jitters out. I think the guys were getting a little tired of playing each other. There's so much we need to do in so little time. Everything we do from this point on is for keeps. We're steady building, we're not where we want to be, but we're building."
On calling the shots this game: "It was good, once the game got going, it really didn't matter. My concern tonight was making sure we played hard, were organized, made sure we knew what we were doing. Overall, I thought it was good, it was a good experience for everyone and I'm glad we played well in stretches."
SOPHOMORE FORWARD KOURTNEY ROBERSON
What did you think your role was tonight, did it motivate you coming off the bench?
Just coming off the bench was my role showing the team what I can do. I was motivated because I know when I come off the bench I need to bring the energy. I like that role as long as I get to play.
JUNIOR FORWARD KHRIS MIDDLETON
How did it feel to get out and play another team? "It felt good after all the conditioning, weight lifting and practices, finally getting to play someone different and get out in front of a crowd and play."
How does the pace of the offense look now? Do coaches want to speed it up? "I think right now it's a good pace, a good starting pace. I think once we get out, we'll start running a little bit more. I think the pace is good."
How will Elston Turner help open things up? "It's going to help a lot, I tell him that all the time. It opens up everything for me, him coming off screens and the bigs inside. It takes a lot of pressure off a lot of people."
How did it feel to be out there without Coach Kennedy calling the shots? "It's tough, but we know he's still watching us play and we still have a great coaching staff here, Coach Cyprien and everyone else. They've been talking to Coach Kennedy and relaying the messages so we still know what he wants us to do."
JUNIOR GUARD ELSTON TURNER
How did it feel to wear an Aggie jersey for the first time? "It felt good. I haven't played against someone else in about a year and a half or two years. I'm thankful for this opportunity. Heading into the season, I have to take advantage of it and get at least a couple rings while I'm here."
Do you think you can bring more than just being a spot shooter? "That was the whole reason I wanted to come here to A&M. I wanted to show not just other people, but myself, that I can still impact the game in other areas besides shooting. I still have a lot to work on, but I've made a lot of progress."
On his shooting tonight: "Nothing was really going right, I've just been preparing for this opportunity and me personally I feel like I had a lot of eyes on me. Not necessarily a lot of hype, but that's what I do. If I'm open, I have to make shots. I carry that with me through every game. That's just another game for me."
DALLAS BAPTIST POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER
"We wanted to first say that we're all praying for Coach Kennedy. We all wish him and his family good health and a quick recovery. He has a tough battle, and a lot of praise needs to go to A&M staff having kept that team focused without Kennedy. A&M I'd say is very efficient, offensively and defensively. The talent is there, but they still have to work together to get good shots, and that happened tonight."
What did you expect from the game tonight? "We know we're playing a team ranked in the top-20. They have multiple guys that will look for the NBA. Whoever we're playing, we try to focus on each possession and when you play a team like that, your mistakes get exposed. It's a really good learning experience. We know Middleton and Turner can shoot, and it's not because we didn't know it, it's just you're a half second away from your turn and that. If you close out poorly on Middleton or Turner, they make you pay."
On Elston Turner's play: "I think that the best word that describes him is efficient. He doesn't take a bad shot or force it or do too much. If you give him breathing room, he makes you pay. Very efficient. 18 points and only one missed shot in the game. He's not trying to do too much, and he's playing within the team and he's a good player."
On Ryan Marsh's play: "Our hope is that it's a breakout year for Marsh. He's a really talented kid. I was concerned that the physical nature of this game would be a challenge for him, but he's a really talented kid. I hope something like this can show him how good of a player I think he can be. Hopefully that can be a good boost of confidence for him."
Did anything surprise you about the way your team played tonight? "One of the things I was most proud of was I thought we made it difficult for them to make easy baskets at the rim. And give them credit. Their bigs are knocking down mid-range jump shots. If you took the offensive rebounds out of the equation, we did a really good job of keeping them out of the paint."
