Aggie Basketball Game #26:
Texas A&M (18-7, 9-4 SEC) at South Carolina (13-12, 4-9 SEC)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 · 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Colonial Life Arena (18,000) · Columbia, S.C.
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Roy Philpott, Play-by-Play
Jon Sundvold, Commentary
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
Local: WTAW 1620 AM (College Station/Bryan)
Satellite Radio (S. Carolina Broadcast): Sirius Ch. 113 / XM Ch. 190
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 is back on the road this weekend as the Aggies travel to Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C., for a tilt against South Carolina at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Saturday's contest will be nationally televised on SEC Network with Roy Philpott calling the play-by-play and Jon Sundvold providing color commentary. Additionally, radio coverage will be provided on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
The Aggies (18-7, 9-4 SEC) have won nine of their last 11 contests to enter the USC game with a share of third place in the Southeastern Conference standings alongside Ole Miss and just one game back of Arkansas, which A&M will face in Fayetteville on Tuesday.
Senior Kourtney Roberson has stepped up his production during the home stretch of his final season wearing the Maroon & White, averaging 14.0 points per game during his last five contests. During the Aggies' most recent outing, a 68-62 win over LSU at Reed Arena on Tuesday, the Arcadia, La., native recorded his ninth career double-double with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Against the Tigers, junior Danuel House also made his presence felt by contributing 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. House ranks fifth in the SEC by averaging 15.9 points per game during SEC play.
The Gamecocks (13-12, 4-9 SEC), meanwhile, have won two of their last three affairs, including a 64-58 victory at Georgia on Tuesday. A pair of sophomore guards pace South Carolina in scoring, with Sindarius Thornwell averaging 11.6 points per game and Duane Notice not far behind with an 11.0 scoring average on the year.
South Carolina is 9-4 on its home court this season.
QUICK HITS
• After playing three consecutive contests in the friendly confines of Reed Arena, the Aggies are back on the road for two straight contests beginning Saturday at South Carolina.
• The Aggies (18-7, 9-4 SEC) have won nine of their last 11 contests and enter the weekend with a share of third place in the SEC standings.
• After only notching four road wins in SEC play during their first two seasons in the league, Texas A&M is 4-2 on the road in league play this season and has already surpassed their total conference win total for either year.
• Forward Kourtney Roberson has enjoyed a strong season on the defensive end this year but recently the fifth-year senior has stepped up his game on the offensive end as well ... Roberson who scored 20 points against Florida on Feb. 14 and enjoyed a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds vs. LSU on Tuesday is averaging 14.0 points during his last five games played.
• Additionally, on Tuesday against the Tigers Roberson hit the millennium-point mark for his career, becoming just the 34th Aggie to join the 1,000-Point Club.
• Junior guard Danuel House continues to rank among the SEC's top scorers during league play, entering the weekend fifth in the league with a 15.9 point-per-game average during league play ... House contributed 20 points during Tuesday's win over LSU, reaching the 20-point plateau for the fifth time this season.
• Fellow junior Jalen Jones also stands out as the 10th leading scorer in SEC play, averaging 13.8 points per league outing while also ranking 12th in rebounding (6.2 rebounds in SEC play).
SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH CAROLINA (A&M LEADS 2-1)
• Saturday will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Aggies & Gamecocks on the hardwood.
• This will be the Aggies' second ever trip to Columbia, S.C.
• Last season, the schools split a pair of meetings with each squad winning on its home court ... the Aggies earned a 75-67 win on Jan. 15 at Reed Arena on Jan. 15 ... current Aggie forward Davonte Fitzgerald chipped in 15 points during the victory ... South Carolina evened the score two weeks later with an 80-52 win at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 29.
• USC head coach Frank Martin is no stranger to the Aggies, however, after facing the Aggies seven times while head coach at Kansas State (2007-12) ... Martin is 6-4 all-time vs. Texas A&M.
• Aggie floor general Billy Kennedy is 2-1 against the Gamecocks.
UP NEXT
The Aggies' two-game road swing continues as they travel to Fayetteville's Bud Walton Arena to face No. 18 Arkansas on Tuesday at 8 p.m. .... ESPN will carry the game.
ROBERSON HITS 1,000-POINT MARK
With a 16-point effort against LSU on Feb. 17, senior Kourtney Roberson became the 34th member of Texas A&M's 1,000-Point Club. The senior from Arcadia, La., native has 1,003 career points to rank in a tie with Elston Turner (1,003 points from 2011-13) for 33rd all-time at A&M.
The next closest Aggie to 1,000 career points (A&M points only) is Alex Caruso with 725 career points.
CARUSO HITS 400 ASSIST PLATEAU; LEADS SEC IN DIMES
With an 11-assist performance on Feb. 7 at Missouri, junior Alex Caruso became just the sixth Aggie to notch 400 career assists as he now has 427 for his three-year career to rank sixth all-time in school history.
Last season Caruso led the SEC with 170 assists and, once again, finds himself atop the league's category with 131 helpers this year. He is seeking to become the first SEC player to lead the league in assists in back-to-back seasons since Nick Calathes of Florida in 2008 and 2009.
ROBERSON ASCENDING AGGIE REBOUNDING LIST
Senior Kourtney Roberson joined the prestigious 500-Rebound Club last season and has continued into his senior season, moving up the list of the most prolific rebounders in school history. The Arcadia, La., native broke a tie for ninth place on the all-time rebounding list with a 11-board performance vs. LSU on Feb. 17.
Roberson enters the South Carolina game with 765 career boards, needing 19 to tie John Beasley (784 career rebounds from 1963-66) for eighth place.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENT SPARK COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORIES
The contest against Missouri on Jan. 24 found the Aggies down at halftime for the third consecutive game and, just like the last two affairs, it saw A&M enjoy a huge second half en route to a come-from-behind victory.
During Tuesday's contest against LSU at Reed Arena, the Aggies trailed by five (36-31) at the break before outscoring the Tigers 37-26 during the second half.
All told this season, the Aggies have won seven total games when they trailed at the intermission. Highlighting the list are a pair of contests during which A&M overcame 13-point deficits during the game's final 20 minutes (Dec. 6 vs Arizona State & Jan. 17 at LSU).