Aggie Basketball Game #12:
Hartford (7-6) at Texas A&M (8-3)
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015 · 4 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network PLUS (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Will Johnson, Play-by-Play
Tap Benz, Commentary
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
Local: WTAW 1620 AM (College Station/Bryan)
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thMan.com
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
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COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M men's basketball team concludes its non-conference schedule Saturday afternoon when the Aggies host Hartford in a 4 p.m. contest at Reed Arena.
The game will be streamed on SEC Network PLUS which is available to SEC Network subscribers via SEC Network Plus as part of the WatchESPN app and ESPN3.com. Additionally, radio coverage on the Aggie Sports Network can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW 1620 AM.
The Aggies (8-3) enter the contest looking to preserve a perfect 6-0 record on their home court this season after winning their 200th career game at Reed Arena during Tuesday's 65-50 victory over Mercer.
Junior forward Jalen Jones made his presence felt during the win over the Bears, contributing 20 points as the Aggies overcame a slow start to win their fourth game by 15 or more points this season.
Jones highlighted a group of four Aggies in double-digit scoring as he was joined by Davonte Fitzgerald (13 points), Danuel House (11) and Kourtney Roberson (11). For Fitzgerald, the 13-point game represented the sophomore's best scoring night of the season as he returns to form after missing the final 10 games of his rookie campaign with a knee injury.
The Hawks, meanwhile, come to Aggieland with a 7-6 record on the year after dropping their most recent contest, an 87-60 decision at Notre Dame on Tuesday.
Led by fifth-year head coach John Gallagher, Hartford features four players from the Lone Star State on its roster, including the team's top two scorers – Leander's Mark Nwakamma, who averages 13.2 points per game, and Yolonzo Moore II of Austin, who contributes 11.4 points per contest.
QUICK HITS
• The Hartford contest will wrap up one of the toughest non-conference schedules in A&M basketball history ... the Aggies have already faced six teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season, going 3-3 against the group.
• During their last outing, a 65-50 victory over Mercer on Tuesday, the Aggies claimed their 200th career win at Reed Arena ... overall, A&M is 200-72 (.735) in 17 seasons at Reed Arena, including an impressive 124-12 mark vs. non-conference opponents (.912).
• In Jan. 1st's edition of the NCAA RPI rankings, the Aggies check in at No. 58 ... A&M is one of nine SEC teams in the top 100 spots.
• Junior Jalen Jones hit the 20-point plateau for the second time this season against Mercer as the Dallas native chipped in 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor ... Jones has now scored double-digit points in eight of 11 games this season.
• In addition to Jones' 20 points, three other Aggies reached double-digit scoring against the Bears (Davonte Fitzgerald-13, Danuel House-11 and Kourtney Roberson-11) ... the contest marked the fourth time in 11 games this season that the balanced-scoring Aggies have featured at least four players with 10 or more points.
SERIES HISTORY VS. HARTFORD (A&M LEADS 1-0)
• Saturday marks just the second all-time meeting between Hartford and Texas A&M on the hardwood.
• The lone meeting in the series occurred on Dec. 30, 1986, when the Aggies, led by head coach Shelby Metcalf, defeated the Hawls 79-66 during the Connecticut Mutual Classic in Hartford, Conn.
UP NEXT
The Aggies tip-off Southeastern Conference play with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Tuesday where they will battle Alabama in an 8 p.m. contest inside Coleman Coliseum. The contest will be televised nationally on SEC Network.
AGGIES WRAP UP STRONG NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The 2014-15 campaign has seen the Aggies play one of the strongest non-conference schedules in program history, facing a total of six teams who made the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Aggies went 3-3 against the group.
After its run through the non-conference slate, the Aggies will face the always tough SEC schedule which includes six teams who made the post season a year ago - Arkansas (NIT), Florida (NCAA Final Four), Georgia (NIT), Kentucky (NCAA Tournament runner-up), LSU (NIT) and Missouri (NIT).
TEXAS A&M-KENTUCKY GAME SET FOR NOON ON CBS
Game time for the match-up between the Texas A&M men's basketball team and top-ranked Kentucky on Jan. 10 at Reed Arena has been slated for noon (CT) on CBS.
The contest will be the seventh all-time between the Aggies and Wildcats on the hardwood with UK owning a 4-2 edge in the series.
SEC ENDS 2014 AS ONE OF THE NATION'S TOP BASKETBALL LEAGUES
• SEC owns the nation's No. 1 non-conference strength of schedule
• SEC owns the nation's No. 3 non-conference RPI
• SEC is the only power conference to improve its RPI this season
• SEC has 6 institutions with an RPI in the top 53
• SEC has 10 institutions with an RPI in top 104
NOTE: Rankings reflect games played through Dec. 29