Texas A&M
25-7, 13-5
Florida
19-14, 9-9
No. 17 Men Top Florida in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
Mar 11, 2016 | Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Jalen Jones made a go-ahead layup with 2:08 remaining and Alex Caruso followed with a steal and layup 13 seconds later to key a late 7-0 run that pushed No. 17 Texas A&M past Florida 72-66 on Friday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Playing for the first time as the tournament's top seed, the Aggies (25-7) needed everything to break free of a Florida team that stayed with them throughout a tight game featuring 11 ties and eight lead changes.
Danuel House followed those two quick baskets with a 3-pointer with 1:02 left to provide some more room, and Admon Gilder's two free throws with 22.8 seconds left sealed the Aggies' seventh straight win.
House and Tyler Davis each scored 15 points for Texas A&M, which will face the Tennessee-LSU winner in Saturday's semifinal. Jones finished with 13 points.
Kasey Hill's 18 points led five players in double figures for eighth-seeded Florida (19-14).
Texas A&M Basketball Postgame Notes
#17 Texas A&M 72, Florida 66
March 11, 2016
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tenn.)
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
- Texas A&M opened its run at the 2016 SEC Tournament on Friday, defeating Florida 72-66 in quarterfinal action inside Bridgestone Arena … The victory gives A&M its first ever-appearance in the semifinals of SEC Tournament.
- The win also marked A&M's seventh in a row and left the Aggies' record on the season at 25-6, just two victories shy of the school record set by the 2006-07 Aggies who went 27-7.
- A&M is now 24-38 all-time in conference tournament games, including a 2-3 mark at the SEC Tournament.
TEAM NOTES
- Texas A&M committed only seven turnovers in the contest, marking the sixth time in the Aggies' seven-game winning streak that they have committed 10 or less turnovers in a game.
- The Aggies also enjoyed a 44-30 advantage on points in the paint.
- Texas A&M used the starting combination of Anthony Collins, Alex Caruso, Danuel House, Jalen Jones and Tyler Davis for the 18th time this season (14-4).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Freshman Tyler Davis and senior Danuel House paced the Aggies in scoring, contributing 15 points apiece … Davis, meanwhile, added a team-high eight rebounds while tying a career-best with three blocked shots.
- Senior Jalen Jones also reached double-digit scoring, contributing 13 points in the win.
- Sophomore Tonny Trocha-Morelos played a huge role off the A&M bench, scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds to go along with a block in just 13 minutes played … Rookie Admon Gilder was also big in a reserve role by contributing seven points, five rebounds, an assist and a block in 25 minutes.
- Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy is now 96-68 in his fifth season at Texas A&M and 307-247 in 18 seasons as head coach.
UP NEXT
- The Aggies will face fourth-seeded LSU in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The contest will tip-off at noon (CT) and be televised by ESPN.
