Tuesday, January 30
College Station
8 p.m.
Texas A&M
14-8, 3-6SEC
80
vs
66
Arkansas
15-7, 4-5SEC
1
2
F
Arkansas
32
34
66
Texas A&M
33
47
80
Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics
Balanced Scoring Lifts Men's Basketball to Win Over Arkansas
Jan 30, 2018 | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Texas A&M might have found its point guard of the future -- and its point guard of the present for a program desperately trying to make the NCAA Tournament. Freshman T.J. Starks scored 16 points and A&M used a strong second half to defeat Arkansas 80-66 on Tuesday night in Reed Arena.
"He's just grown up," A&M coach Billy Kennedy said of Starks, who's taken over the starting role the past two games. "When he gets coached, he handles it a lot better. He's maturing more than anything."
That newfound maturity was on display against the Razorbacks, as Starks commanded the offense and made 4 of 5 from 3-point range along the way.
"In the second half he did a better job of making the extra pass," Kennedy said. "He's always been a scorer first, and he's starting to learn how to run the offense and get other guys shots."
The Aggies clutched a 33-32 halftime lead despite committing 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. A&M (14-8, 3-6 Southeastern Conference) came out hot in the second half, building a 44-34 lead a little more than two minutes in thanks to a dunk by Tyler Davis and 3-pointers from D.J. Hogg, Starks and Admon Gilder.
Hogg followed up that flurry with two more 3-pointers over the next couple of minutes, in showing some of the long-range form that made him so impactful early in the season for the Aggies.
"I just had to trust my shot and keep shooting," Hogg said. "It started falling and my teammates kept finding me. The bucket seemed to open up for everybody, too."
Meanwhile, Davis was the only rebounder on either team in double digits with 13, including 11 on offense.
Daryl Macon led Arkansas (15-7, 4-5) with 20 points, and Jaylen Barford added 19 for the Razorbacks, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped.
"Our defense in the second half was not the brand we played in the first half," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "Before you knew it, we let their one-point lead blow up to double figures."
TEAM NOTES
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
UP NEXT
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH BILLY KENNEDY
Opening Statement…
"Proud of our guys for coming in and fighting against a good Arkansas team. Once we settled in and stopped turning the ball over, we did a good job of sharing the ball and finally making some shots."
On TJ's performance…
"He is developing nicely and on the second half, he did a better job of making the extra pass. He is such a good offensive scorer and he has always been a scorer first but it is a transition for him to learn how to guard offense. He is very capable and I thought he made a nice play to Tyler (Davis) at the baseline which was a big play in the game."
On Tyler's rebounding…
"He continues to be a beast around the basket and it was a physical game. Tyler was relentless on the glass with 11 offensive rebounds."
On turnover…
"We can't keep giving them the ball. They (Arkansas) play such a different style of play so it takes you a while to settle in with what they are doing. But once we got past that first five to six minutes we only had four turnovers the second half which I thought was a big key."
TEXAS A&M JUNIOR FORWARD DJ Hogg
On what clicked in second half…
"I just had to trust my shot and keep shooting and then it started falling. My teammates kept finding me and then the bucket seemed to open up for everybody too. We got on a role and kept playing defense too."
On how it feels see it falling the way it is supposed to …
"It is like a relaxation and a breath of fresh air. It is just a good feeling. I have been struggling and shooting bad so to see a couple go and to come out on top of a good Arkansas team is a great feeling."
On TJ Starks…
"He has matured a lot. He has taken the point guard role and has been working with Coach Kennedy on patience with the offense and how you can't just attack on the first side. He has been waiting for his shots to come and with the way he has playing, his minutes will keep going up. He has realized that and is taking the leadership and maturity in the point guard position."
TEXAS A&M FRESHMAN GUARD TJ Starks
On how game/attitude has changed for him…
"Just believing in the process; believing in the coaches; believing in my teammates. Just understanding that my time is going to come and I just have to wait and figure it out. Obviously, I got it done today and hopefully I will get it done again on Saturday."
On how this game felt like Decembers again…
"It did feel pretty good to have a good lead and to come out with a win. It is just a start and we cannot dwell on the win. We have to look forward, keep pushing and move on."
ARKANSAS HEAD COACH MIKE ANDERSON
Opening Statement...
"First, congratulations to Billy Kennedy and his team. We know he has a very good basketball team. He got all of the pieces together. I thought the second half was probably the best they've played. They had a little bit to do with it and we had a little bit to do with it. Our defense was not playing the brand we played early in the first half. In the second half we came out and we turned the ball over a couple times and before you know it, it's like a snowball effect. They started scoring on the other end. Hogg made some big shots for them. Before you know it, a lead that was one point all of a sudden goes up to double figures. We had some guys that were struggling on the offensive end. We're a pretty good basketball team, but if we don't get anything out of the forwards inside that puts a lot of pressure on the perimeter. They were able to concentrate on the perimeter guys. It was like a tale of two halves. I didn't think we played very well, especially in the second half."
On Hogg's big shots…
"He's too good of a player. He's eventually going to make some. A couple times, we had some missed assignments. A lot of guys shoot right at the 3-point line, Hogg was probably about four or five feet away from the 3-point line."
On Daniel Gafford's performance...
"I thought when he got in foul trouble it threw him off. He was playing not to foul. He wasn't playing in the same aggressive mode that he's capable of doing. We're continuing to build on and encourage as he goes to play at home, play on the road, and play against different style of guys. It wasn't just one big kid. It was a physical game. There were two or three guys in there that you're going against with your body. He'll learn. He's a freshman."
"He's just grown up," A&M coach Billy Kennedy said of Starks, who's taken over the starting role the past two games. "When he gets coached, he handles it a lot better. He's maturing more than anything."
That newfound maturity was on display against the Razorbacks, as Starks commanded the offense and made 4 of 5 from 3-point range along the way.
"In the second half he did a better job of making the extra pass," Kennedy said. "He's always been a scorer first, and he's starting to learn how to run the offense and get other guys shots."
The Aggies clutched a 33-32 halftime lead despite committing 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. A&M (14-8, 3-6 Southeastern Conference) came out hot in the second half, building a 44-34 lead a little more than two minutes in thanks to a dunk by Tyler Davis and 3-pointers from D.J. Hogg, Starks and Admon Gilder.
Hogg followed up that flurry with two more 3-pointers over the next couple of minutes, in showing some of the long-range form that made him so impactful early in the season for the Aggies.
"I just had to trust my shot and keep shooting," Hogg said. "It started falling and my teammates kept finding me. The bucket seemed to open up for everybody, too."
Meanwhile, Davis was the only rebounder on either team in double digits with 13, including 11 on offense.
Daryl Macon led Arkansas (15-7, 4-5) with 20 points, and Jaylen Barford added 19 for the Razorbacks, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped.
"Our defense in the second half was not the brand we played in the first half," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "Before you knew it, we let their one-point lead blow up to double figures."
Makin' it look easy.@_JayChandler goes up & under for the smoooooth reverse.#DoMore #12thMan pic.twitter.com/JlqyIXsxOO
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) January 31, 2018
The air up there.@rob_williamsIII climbs the ladder & finishes strong.#12thMan pic.twitter.com/TTzWlmJHwf
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) January 31, 2018
Couldn't do it without ya @ReedRowdies ??#DoMore #12thMan pic.twitter.com/si7B7YYNfn
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) January 31, 2018
Threes please!
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) January 31, 2018
Ags go 7/12 from ?? in the 2nd half to slam the door on Arkansas. #DoMore #12thMan pic.twitter.com/NB8d7JfmO4
Postgame Notes
RECORDS / SERIES NOTES- Texas A&M improved to 14-8 on the season with a 3-6 mark in SEC play following an 80-66 win over Arkansas on Tuesday inside Reed Arena.
- With the victory, Texas A&M snapped a three-game losing streak against the Hogs with Arkansas maintaining a 101-55 lead in the all-time series … the Aggies have lost just once in the Razorbacks' five trips to Reed Arena.
TEAM NOTES
- After holding a 33-32 lead at the intermission, the Aggies distanced themselves with a 26-6 scoring run in the opening seven minutes of the second period to open up a 21-point advantage.
- Texas A&M dominated the glass on the night, holding a 45-30 edge on the boards and outrebounding its opponent for the 18th time in 22 games.
- The Aggies found their 3-point stroke by hitting their most threes in conference play on a 10-of-26 shooting from long distance ... after hitting 3-of-14 in the first half, the Aggies canned their first six triples of the second half.
- The Aggies distributed the ball all night with 19 assists on their 28 field goals including 12 dimes in the second period.
- A&M used the starting lineup combination of TJ Starks, Admon Gilder, DJ Hogg, Robert Williams and Tyler Davis for the second time this season (1-1).
- At halftime, 312 Aggie student-athletes named the AD Honor Roll for fall 2017 were honored on the court
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Junior center Tyler Davis carded his fourth double-double in the last five games, giving him nine on the season as well as 15 for his three-year career … Davis finished a career-high 11 offensive rebounds contributing to the Aggie 34 points in the paint … overall, Davis had 15 points and 13 boards.
- In his second career start, freshman guard TJ Stark led the team in scoring with a career-high 16 points … Starks hit 4-of-5 behind the arc while also contributing a team-high five assists.
- Sophomore forward Robert Williams reached double-figures in scoring for the fifth consecutive game … the Oil City, La., native connected on 5-of-6 field goals and added three blocks.
- Junior guard Admon Gilder put up 13 points and collected eight boards in the win …the Dallas, Texas, native added two steals, two assists and eight boards on the night.
- Aggie head coach Billy Kennedy improved to 129-93 during his seven-year tenure at Texas A&M and 340-272 in 20 seasons as a head coach.
UP NEXT
- The Aggies host South Carolina on Saturday inside Reed Arena as the program celebrates Autism Awareness Day and Legacy Day ... the game will be televised on ESPN2 and tip off at 1 p.m. (CT).
Postgame Quotes
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH BILLY KENNEDY
Opening Statement…
"Proud of our guys for coming in and fighting against a good Arkansas team. Once we settled in and stopped turning the ball over, we did a good job of sharing the ball and finally making some shots."
On TJ's performance…
"He is developing nicely and on the second half, he did a better job of making the extra pass. He is such a good offensive scorer and he has always been a scorer first but it is a transition for him to learn how to guard offense. He is very capable and I thought he made a nice play to Tyler (Davis) at the baseline which was a big play in the game."
On Tyler's rebounding…
"He continues to be a beast around the basket and it was a physical game. Tyler was relentless on the glass with 11 offensive rebounds."
On turnover…
"We can't keep giving them the ball. They (Arkansas) play such a different style of play so it takes you a while to settle in with what they are doing. But once we got past that first five to six minutes we only had four turnovers the second half which I thought was a big key."
TEXAS A&M JUNIOR FORWARD DJ Hogg
On what clicked in second half…
"I just had to trust my shot and keep shooting and then it started falling. My teammates kept finding me and then the bucket seemed to open up for everybody too. We got on a role and kept playing defense too."
On how it feels see it falling the way it is supposed to …
"It is like a relaxation and a breath of fresh air. It is just a good feeling. I have been struggling and shooting bad so to see a couple go and to come out on top of a good Arkansas team is a great feeling."
On TJ Starks…
"He has matured a lot. He has taken the point guard role and has been working with Coach Kennedy on patience with the offense and how you can't just attack on the first side. He has been waiting for his shots to come and with the way he has playing, his minutes will keep going up. He has realized that and is taking the leadership and maturity in the point guard position."
TEXAS A&M FRESHMAN GUARD TJ Starks
On how game/attitude has changed for him…
"Just believing in the process; believing in the coaches; believing in my teammates. Just understanding that my time is going to come and I just have to wait and figure it out. Obviously, I got it done today and hopefully I will get it done again on Saturday."
On how this game felt like Decembers again…
"It did feel pretty good to have a good lead and to come out with a win. It is just a start and we cannot dwell on the win. We have to look forward, keep pushing and move on."
ARKANSAS HEAD COACH MIKE ANDERSON
Opening Statement...
"First, congratulations to Billy Kennedy and his team. We know he has a very good basketball team. He got all of the pieces together. I thought the second half was probably the best they've played. They had a little bit to do with it and we had a little bit to do with it. Our defense was not playing the brand we played early in the first half. In the second half we came out and we turned the ball over a couple times and before you know it, it's like a snowball effect. They started scoring on the other end. Hogg made some big shots for them. Before you know it, a lead that was one point all of a sudden goes up to double figures. We had some guys that were struggling on the offensive end. We're a pretty good basketball team, but if we don't get anything out of the forwards inside that puts a lot of pressure on the perimeter. They were able to concentrate on the perimeter guys. It was like a tale of two halves. I didn't think we played very well, especially in the second half."
On Hogg's big shots…
"He's too good of a player. He's eventually going to make some. A couple times, we had some missed assignments. A lot of guys shoot right at the 3-point line, Hogg was probably about four or five feet away from the 3-point line."
On Daniel Gafford's performance...
"I thought when he got in foul trouble it threw him off. He was playing not to foul. He wasn't playing in the same aggressive mode that he's capable of doing. We're continuing to build on and encourage as he goes to play at home, play on the road, and play against different style of guys. It wasn't just one big kid. It was a physical game. There were two or three guys in there that you're going against with your body. He'll learn. He's a freshman."
Team Stats
AR
TAMU
FG%
.410
.475
3FG%
.364
.385
FT%
.615
.560
RB
30
45
TO
13
16
STL
7
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
C
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