Seven games into its Southeastern Conference stretch, Texas A&M men’s basketball remains atop the league standings thanks to a 92-69 drubbing of South Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 24, which featured the second-most made threes in program history.
In his first season with the Aggies, head coach Bucky McMillan has brought a breath of fresh air — and in this case, free admission — to a basketball program that had long been defined by its defense-first mentality under former head coach Buzz Williams.
“Our crowd is such a part of what we have going on here, and we are very thankful for that,” McMillan said. “To score 92 points in an SEC game is really something, and we’re happy with the turnout.”
In a short time under McMillan, the Maroon and White have quickly gained a reputation for their full-court press attack and up-tempo offense, which has been paying off with a third-best SEC average of 91.7 points per game.
The duo of senior guards Jacari Lane and Rylan Griffen helped the Aggies jump out to an early 7-2 lead, but the Gamecocks refused to sink so quickly into the impending snow on its way to College Station.
The redshirt senior G pair of Meechie Johnson and Kobe Knox showed no quarter in an 11-0 scoring run that made a small crew of Gamecock fans in Section 124 echo like a Saturday at Kyle Field. Still, if there’s one thing to know about Bucky Ball, it’s that the wheels never stop churning, even when faced with adversity.
“We play in streaks, we play with winning shooting,” McMillan said. “We weren’t attacking them at first, but once we started getting in a roll of things, then we were able to play our brand of basketball.”
The Aggies had an unlikely hero in graduate student forward Zach Clemence, who made four 3-pointers in the first half to silence the rooster’s caw. With three minutes to play before halftime, A&M reestablished its control over South Carolina, maintaining a 39-21 advantage.
But the snow-day party didn’t stop there as sophomore G Rubén Dominguez hit back-to-back treys, bringing A&M’s first-half total up to 12 made threes, the most in a half since the Aggies dropped 10 in their Nov. 21, 2025, victory over Manhattan.
As halftime — and sleet-like rain — reached Reed Arena, the Maroon and White had six players with at least one make from beyond the arc, and the score read 46-25 in favor of those who traded cabin fever in for SEC basketball.
Lane made a driving layup to open the second half the same way as he started the first, and Griffen followed suit with another three. Johnson and Kobe stayed with the first-half script as well, combining for a six-point response, but unlike the opening period, the Gamecocks were in a 27-point crater.
Clemence continued playing a foot shorter than his position normally dictates, adding his fifth 3-pointer, while fifth-year senior G Ali Dibba and junior G Pop Isaacs provided additional air support in an 8-3 scoring run that forced a South Carolina timeout.
“Apply the pressure, full-court press, it’s a Bucky Ball thing,” Clemence said. “We’re going out, putting in the work, and plus, it’s a fun way to play. And I love the fans, for them to come out and support us in weather like this is really something.”
What was once rousing cheers from Section 124 became a call that couldn’t even get a rooster out of bed, as the Aggies lead climbed to the highest all game when Dibba’s jump shot put A&M in front, 70-38.
Having one of his quietest games of the season, graduate student F Rashaun Agee played a more supporting role after dropping his season-best 23 points in a midweek victory over Mississippi State on Jan. 20. Even so, his 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists were a testament to his willingness to rise to any occasion.
Despite a harrowing deficit, Johnson and Knox kept the Gamecocks competitive, as the pair tallied 44 points and were 2 of only 3 South Carolina players to reach double digits. But the will to respond never faded from A&M, as each scoring run was answered with another timely three or strong-handed layup.
Every South Carolina punch was met with three A&M haymakers, and when the final buzzer rang loud through Reed Arena, the Aggies were atop the Gamecocks, 92-69.
A&M will get a chance to rest up without a midweek matchup, but will return to action as it visits No. 21 Georgia at noon on Saturday, Jan. 31.
