Inside a raucous Mizzou Arena, a battle of wits between coaches Buzz Williams and Dennis Gates had No. 13 A&M and No. 15 Missouri trading in-game adjustments to pierce the others’ veil. Through all the blows each team threw at each other and high-strung emotions on the court, both teams tied it up at 64, and it all came down to a final possession where the scoreboard showed nine seconds left.
Off a Williams timeout, graduate guard Wade Taylor IV brought up the ball from the backcourt and dumped it off to senior forward Anderrson Garcia, who moved the ball to the right wing. As the seconds ticked down, Taylor gave a great fake curl to the ball to get graduate G Marques Warrick to overcommit and with just a hedge of space, the Dallas native knocked down the game-winning three for a hard-fought 67-64 Southeastern Conference win.
Through the highs and lows of the game, here’s how the Aggies were able to pull away from Columbia with the victory.
Dominating the paint
It cannot be understated how important junior forward Pharrel Payne is to the Aggies. In a second half where A&M was outscored 35-29 as Missouri capitalized off of trap defense leading to fastbreak offense, the Maroon and White had a dry spell where they couldn’t buy a bucket for five minutes. In that span, the Tigers pounced off of Aggie turnovers and segued into their first lead of the game.
With Taylor in foul trouble, Williams looked to Payne to put points on the board. Just like the South Carolina game, he went to work down low, where Missouri either fouled him or he found an open bucket. Though he had some free throw struggles, he knocked down two clutch ones to cross the 20-point threshold. Along with four rebounds and two blocks, the Minnesota transfer has continued to impress and come up as a reliable option for the Aggies to go to.
Alongside him, graduate F Henry Coleman III had his work cut out for him as well. While Payne scored, Coleman went after every single rebound, grabbing down a career-high 16. His offensive boards gave the Aggies early life in the first half, leading to 11 second-chance points to give A&M the early breathing room. Without his motor and gear early on, Missouri would’ve likely secured a top-10 win.
A&M’s list of close games got longer — but that’s a good thing
In A&M’s last nine games, only two finished with a double-digit margin: a 80-60 win over Texas and a 81-69 loss to then-No. 8 Kentucky.
Add this game to the clutch list. Though A&M’s first half was executed to near perfection, Missouri kept the lead to single digits. Right out the second half gates, Gates made necessary adjustments, employing a halfcourt trap defense that swarmed ball handlers senior Gs Manny Obaseki and Zhuric Phelps as soon as they picked the ball up — and it worked perfectly.
Missouri’s backcourt of senior G Tamar Bates, graduate G Tony Perkins and junior F Mark Mitchell capitalized with a string of fastbreak dunks that had Tigers fans on their feet, and it seemed as if the avalanche would never stop.
However, with all those close games already played and despite a scoreless streak, Williams came right back to counter Gates with his own adjustments, employing his own half court defense and going to Payne offensively. After forcing turnovers and putting points back on the board, the Aggies were able to settle down and weather the storm.
Though having Taylor on the court is always a luxury, the Aggies have played a number of games without him, and in stretches where the guard is on the bench, the strategy to weather opposing team’s storms has worked just fine — and today was no different.
All these adjustments, especially in crunch time, will be vital in both the SEC Tournament and in March Madness.
The one thing A&M needs to get down to be that much better
Though the Aggies boast the best offensive rebounding in the country and have a motor and gear that is seemingly unmatched, the one thing they lack is the ability to sink free throws.
It’s been a season-long thorn in their side, and again, missed free throws helped Missouri’s second half spark. Shooting 14-for-23 is hardly a recipe for success, but the Aggies overcame their self-inflicted wounds. If they want to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, free throws need to be knocked down, and any improvement from a 60.9% day would be welcomed.
Though A&M’s first halves have usually resulted in an early Aggie lead, teams like Missouri have been able to come back because of their own made free throws. Especially for how physical and down low A&M plays, it will elevate the team to another level and help it secure ongoing leads.
After their two-game road trip, the Aggies return to Reed Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 11 for an early-week tuneup against Georgia.
