As a tight rope walker does in a circus act, the Aggies played with one key ingredient on Saturday afternoon – balance.
That balancing act, paired with big days from the senior nucleus of Alex Caruso, Danuel House and Jalen Jones, the Aggies blasted the Georgia Bulldogs 79-45 in Athens. The win stretches A&M’s win streak to eight games, which is their longest since the 2010-2011 season.
The Aggies took the lead with their first basket of the first half and never relinquished it again. A&M bolstered a 17 point lead at one point, and behind a blistering 50 percent shooting performance in the half, took a 38-23 lead to the locker room at halftime.
A&M (15-2, 5-0 SEC) put on a show once again on the defensive side of the basketball. They forced 12 Bulldog turnovers that ultimately led to 27 points. They had nine steals and held the Bulldogs to a harrowing 28 percent shooting percentage from the floor.
Meanwhile, it was an all-around balanced showing from the Aggies on the offensive end. Three Aggies would reach double-figures during the afternoon. Caruso and House led the team with 12 points each while Jones pitched in a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. As a team, A&M shot 53 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the three-point line.
The second half saw the same theme as the first half – Aggie balance. Their lead would swell to 25 points at one time, and they bullied the Bulldogs around for a majority of the contest.
Down low, Tyler Davis and company pushed around Georgia. A&M outrebounded the Bulldogs by a 39 to 34 margin and outscored them in the paint. Highly-regarded freshman Kobe Eubanks saw his first action of the year and hit one three-pointer for his first points in an Aggie uniform.
Georgia (9-6, 2-3 SEC) was held to their lowest point output of the season, and it was their first loss to the Aggies since A&M joined the SEC in 2012. It was a rough day offensively for the Bulldogs, but they were led by Yante Maten with 13 points. Outside of him, no other Georgia player scored more than eight points.
The win give A&M their first 5-0 start in conference play in 30 years dating back to the 1985-1986 season.
A&M will now welcome the LSU Tigers and potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Ben Simmons to College Station on Tuesday night.