Texas A&M played one of its worst first halves all season against Arkansas Tuesday night, and followed it with arguably its brilliant remaining 20 minutes.
However, the Aggies fell up short 81-75. Here’s some analysis from sports editor Carter Karels for the remainder of the season.
What this means- The Aggies trailed by as much as 24 points in this game, and after a first half that comprised of 16 turnovers, it had the feel of a old fashion butt whippin’. But, behind 28 Danuel House points and relentlessness on the glass by Jalen Jones and Kourtney Roberson, A&M was able to fight back and cut it to 74-72. This willingness to fight back is a recurring theme for this ball club. Moreover, after losing to Alabama by 21 points on Jan. 6, A&M took No. 1 Kentucky to two overtimes before falling short, and continued to win six consecutive conference games. With three games remaining and an SEC tournament looming, a late push isn’t out of the picture just yet.
A look ahead- Auburn, Florida and Alabama remain on A&M’s schedule. The Aggies have played all three, boasting a 2-1 record. Yes, they lost big to Alabama. But, Jalen Jones – the leading scorer and rebounder at the time – sat out due to ankle injury, and House had not reached his full potential. Since that game, House has logged double-digit performances in all but one matchup, six 20-point games and an average of 18.2 points per game.
Prediction- Although a loss in a game as important as this can rattle a team, A&M has proved all year that it can get back on track. On Dec. 9, A&M lost to Baylor in a 77-63 fashion, and became the first SEC team to not grab an offensive rebound in 19 years. In their biggest game of the year against No. 1 Kentucky, A&M suffered a 16-for-30 free throw total. The free throw issue hasn’t been completely fixed, but against the Razorbacks, the Aggies shot 14-for-19 from the charity stripe, and outrebounded them 44 to 23. No matter how embarrassing or how important of a game the Aggies fail in, they always find a way to fix their problems. Based off that trend, they should win at least two of their next three and win a game or two in the SEC tournament, which would almost definitely earn them a spot in the dance. Whether they’ll be successful in the NCAA tournament still remains imminent, as the Aggies are still looking for a win over their first RPI top 50 team.