Texas A&M
13-12, 4-9
Texas Tech
8-17, 1-12
Aggies Down Tech, 47-38
Feb 14, 2012 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas--Elston Turner scored 16 points and Khris Middleton had 9 to lead Texas A&M over Texas Tech 47-38 on Tuesday night, ending a four-game skid for the Aggies in their final Big 12 matchup with the Red Raiders.
The Aggies (13-12, 4-9) overcame a 15-point deficit and pulled ahead for the first time during an 18-5 run that included eight points from David Loubeau and five from Middleton.
After shooting 48 percent in the first half, Texas Tech went cold. The Red Raiders finished 5 of 19 from the field after the break and scored just 12 points in the second half.
A&M shot poorly in the first half -- 28 percent -- compared to 39 percent in the second half
Jaye Crockett scored 12 points to lead Texas Tech (8-17, 1-12).
- Texas Tech's 38 points were the fewest by an Aggie opponent in a conference game since Jan. 16, 1959, when A&M defeated Texas, 73-29, at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
- Texas A&M won its sixth in a row over Texas Tech and fourth straight at United Spirit Arena ... the Red Raiders lead the all-time series, 64-62.
- Tech led 24-9 with 6:32 left in the first half ... A&M held the Red Raiders to 14 points over the final 26 minutes and 32 seconds of the game.
- A&M's 20 offensive rebounds were a season high.
- A&M won after trailing at halftime (17-26) for the first time this year.
- The Aggies erased a 15-point deficit and 9-point second-half deficit, both season bests.
- The victory was A&M's first on the road this year in Big 12 play.
- Jordan Green matched a season high in rebounds (5) and was one shy of his season high in points (9).
POSTGAME QUOTES
Texas A&M Head Coach Billy Kennedy
On win
Two teams fighting for a win, I thought our guts fought through some adversity in the first half and did a great job defensively in the second half, and we did a better job taking care of the ball.
On defensive approach in the second half
We turned the ball over in the first half, I thought they got some easy baskets and we were playing back on our heels and the crowd got into it. We played passive the first 10 minutes, then we woke up and started playing like we're capable of towards the end of the half. I thought we did a much better job in the second half. We played the guys who were playing well and were being aggressive and were attacking.
On defensive pressure
I thought our ball pressure was really good. They took away their vision to get the ball on the post. Defensively we give ourselves a chance most nights.
Texas A&M Player Elston Turner
On first road win in conference
It feels great. Like we have been saying, any win is a great win. It is hard to win, so when you do, and when you do it to another Texas team, another Big 12 team, as we are about to leave, it is just that much better.
On defensive success
I guess we were just being physical with them, going three-quarter. We were just using our legs to push them off the block, just making them score over.
Texas A&M Player David Loubeau
On second chance points
Yeah, it has been a focus on my career. If I miss a shot, chase that shot, and I try to go up strong with it. That is what I was doing.
On one-and-one with two minutes left
I was just trying to be aggressive and get to the basket. I had a play just like early in first half, and I shot it. I kind of reflected on that and thought, 'if I get that play back again I'm gonna take it to the basket.
Head Coach Billy Gillispie
On loss
Tough disappointing loss. We had some moments where we played really well, we didn't play good enough for 40 minutes. They definitely started hitting some shots and playing better. When it got right down to it we weren't tough enough in the lane to beat them.
On offensive difference between 1st and 2nd half
It was my fault, we probably got a little to conservative in the second half. At the end of the first half, we just didn't make any shots. We didn't run, after we got out to a lead we started wanting to play conservative. That wasn't my doing. But the second half I tried to make them play conservative.
On what A&M did well
Rebounding. When they did miss, they beat us on the boards by 18, it was 41-23. We got dominated on the boards. They had 20 offensive rebounds, we only had 23 total rebounds. Basically that was the story of the game. We defended well enough to win, you give up 47 points, you are supposed to win at home. We just didn't score, we got two foul shots, that is all we did. We had a lot of wide open shots in the second half, when we were playing conservatively, we were wide open shots. We went 2-10 from three. We missed a lot of little seven, eight, 10 feet shots. You've got to make those shots to try to win.
On A&M's three-point shooting
They are good shooters, that is a big part of their offense right now. We had them 24-9 and we let them make two straight 3-point shots, and neither one of them were very well defended. We haven't been up that much on anyone in a long time. We just didn't handle the lead very well defensively.
On losing the lead
It is disappointing because we had a lead. It is a good team that probably hasn't had gotten the results that they definitely wanted to have, so they are big and athletic. That ultimately was the deal of us, we couldn't play in the paint with them. We needed to have a little more margin for error but when we made them miss, they got one or two or three extra opportunities. You've got to be tougher than that in the paint.
Texas Tech Player Javarez Willis
On Biggest Problem
"We were up 24-9, I gave up a three and Ty gave up a three and that just gave them hope."
On how much this loss hurts
"Bad because we know we should have won that game. We could have even won that game by 30."
On difference from the first half to the second half
"We didn't come out tough enough. We didn't compete like we did in the first half."
On what they were doing well
"Discipline. We were executing and doing exactly what coach told us to do. Plus we were playing defense. When we play defense our offense is automatic, but we had that one little spurt and it affected our defense."
Texas Tech Player Jaye Crockett
"They dominated us on the boards. We gave up to many easy rebounds that we should have had."
On biggest issue of the game
"They were just more aggressive than us. We weren't bossin our man out and balls were going over our head. On free throw rebounds we weren't pinching. We just weren't aggressive going towards the rebounds.
On fatigue being an issue
"I didn't realize we played five or six people. I didn't realize that until the end of the game. We condition so hard in practice and we go hard so it makes the games easier."
On offense struggles in the second half
"Shots were not falling. That happens sometimes you have to use your defense. Get it inside and stop worrying about three's and work a little inside out. Shots weren't falling from the outside so that was our problem.
On Head Coach Gillespie's message after the game
"He was disappointed. This was an easy win. We should have had this game. We just let them kill us on the boards and that was un-called for if you ask me."
