The new faces of Texas A&M men’s basketball have created a dangerous depth chart.
On Sunday, Nov. 14, the Aggies defeated A&M-Corpus Christi, 86-65, with more than half of its points coming from the bench.
Third-year head coach Buzz Williams returned to the court for the first time after his two-game suspension. Williams said he tuned into the last two games from his couch, taking extensive notes.
“I could not have any contact with anybody in the program,” Williams said. “I watched the game on every TV in my house with my wife. I’ve never watched a game with my wife that I was supposed to be coaching. All of it was strange.”
The Aggies kicked off the first quarter with a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Marcus Williams. While the Aggies attempted to set up their offense, Corpus Christi’s defense created turnovers and subsequently capitalized on them, leading at 13-6 with 15:15 left in the first quarter.
Both the Islanders and the Aggies attempted multiple 3-pointers to up the score throughout the first half. The Aggies shot 40% from the 3-point line, only sinking six of 15 3-point attempts in the first.
“We don’t rely on the three. We just score,” graduate guard Quenton Jackson said. “We just let the game come to us. If it’s the three, it’s the three.”
The Aggies fought back, and an assist from junior guard Andre Gordan set up freshman forward Javonte Brown for a dunk, giving the Aggies their first lead of the game, 22-21. Corpus’ junior forward Isaac Mushila kept the battle close, but two 3-pointers from A&M junior guard Tyrece Radford extended the Aggies’ lead and finished the half at 38-34.
In the second half, the A&M System schools continued to clash. A 3-pointer from Corpus Christi’s junior guard Trevain Tennyson stole back the lead, 46-45.
Multiple defensive stops from the maroon and white halted the Islanders, while sophomore forward Henry Coleman III took it upon himself to drive up the score. The Duke transfer was one of five Aggies to score over 10 points on Sunday. Freshman guard Wade Taylor said the team’s depth at the guard position speaks volumes about the team.
“We have 11 guys that can go get it,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t matter who coach Buzz subs in.”
With momentum on their side, the Aggies began to separate the score, allowing zero points in the last 2 ½ minutes of play. Junior guard Aaron Cash stepped up defensively, while Jackson put points on the board, finishing as the Aggies’ leading scorer with 15 points.
To finalize Sunday’s matchup, freshman guard Manny Obaseki drained the last three of the day, propelling the score to 86-6 and the Aggies to a 3-0 start.
The win over Corpus Christi extended the Aggies’ streak to three in five days. Taylor said the short time span between games has been tough, but the coaching staff has done a good job of preparing the team.
“Three games in five days is very difficult, but coach Buzz will do what’s right for our bodies.” Taylor said. “It was fun to win those games and turn around [quickly]. Staying together and knowing we had [to] execute made these five days go by pretty smooth.”
The Aggies will resume out-of-conference play against Houston Baptist on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at Reed Arena. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m.
