Texas A&M men’s basketball team suffered a hard loss when it was announced earlier today that star sophomore forward DJ Hogg would miss the remainder of the season due to a lingering foot injury. Originating against Georgia on January 21, the Plano, Texas native has continued to play through his foot pain before Hogg, along with medical staff, decided to focus on his rehab and recovery for next season.
The Aggies now (13-12, 5-8 SEC) saddled up for their fifth straight SEC matchup Thursday night against Vanderbilt (13-13, 6-7 SEC). The squads met just two weeks ago in College Station where the Commodores dished out a 54-68 defeat at Reed Arena.
Hogg’s 18 starts and 97 buckets was surely missed, however it was fellow sophomore center Tyler Davis that picked up the slack. Working inside the paint, Davis has recently struggled to score but quickly put up 15 points to put the Aggies ahead. The two squads played evenly before A&M flat lined nearing half time, allowing the Commodores to take back the lead going into the break. Davis finished the match with a game-high 25 points and 6 rebounds.
The Aggies’ outside game struggled without Hogg’s dominating presence. Davis and freshman forward Robert Williams filled his vacancy with a strong performance in the paint. It wasn’t until halfway through the second period that sophomore guard Admon Gilder sank the Aggies’ first 3-pointer after 11 failed attempts.
The second half saw the two teams battle neck-and-neck down to the final minutes of the match. Williams and Gilder continued to roll, collecting 13 and 14 points respectively. Williams helped the Aggies grab a much needed win in the possession department with 13 rebounds. However, it wasn’t enough to keep Vanderbilt at bay. Four Commodores put up double digits with Matthew Fisher-Davis leading the charge to put Vandy ahead before the final buzzer.
The Aggies return to action Saturday, February 18 as they return to College Station to play host to the Auburn Tigers. Tipoff is set for 3:00 PM CST at Reed Arena.
