The Texas A&M class of 2013 would not be proud of the 0-for-13 that was posted by the Aggies at the start of the game at Auburn Wednesday night.
The A&M offense failed to score a basket for 13 consecutive shots to kick off the matchup, making their 65-56 away victory over the Tigers all the more impressive.
Texas A&M senior forward Jarod Jahns and junior guard Blake McDonald are both walk-ons, yet both found a considerable amount of playing time during the big-time win Jahns with 21 and McDonald with 8.
Head coach Billy Kennedy said that was crucial for their team.
“It was a great character win,” Kennedy said. “To have two guys come off the bench and give good quality minutes. I was really proud of this team.”
Auburn started the game on a 12-0 run behind the Aggies ineptitude to find the bottom of the net. Texas A&M, however, battled back against the Tigers, improving to 16-10 (6-7 in the SEC) on the year and 4-4 on the road.
Many players stepped up as Texas A&M’s leading scorer, senior guard Elston Turner, finished with 21 points.
Sophomore forward Kourtney Roberson finished the game with 10 rebounds and true freshman sensation Alex Caruso notched career highs in points (14) and assists (8) as he finished two assists short of a double double. He also added a team-leading three steals.
Caruso said Kennedy’s quote of the game inspired him.
“Coach has a quote he gives before every game,” Caruso said. “The quote today was, ‘the time is now.’ I just really took that into effect and had a grind it out attitude.”
The Aggies fought back to within two points at the end of the first half, trailing 31-29, and went on a scoring frenzy in the last five minutes of the half, outscoring the Tigers 12-5.
Turner said he did his best, but it was a good team win.
“I just try to do what I can so the team can win the game,” Turner said. “We fought, we didn’t quit. We got great work from everybody on the team.”
Texas A&M will try to ride the momentum back to Reed Arena Saturday as they take on the Tennessee Volunteers.