Texas managed to undo some of the momentum they had built up after two top-15 wins tonight in a loss against Texas A&M, a contest in which the Aggies killed Texas with a combination of back screens, shots from deep, and top-notch defense, managing to shut down the Texas offense throughout the game and holding them to 17 points below their season average.
The Longhorns struggled mightily to shoot the ball throughout the night, unable to convert any kind of look with consistency. The first half was a slugfest where neither team could get any kind of advantage, but the second half, Texas A&M managed to score with ease on certain possessions. Tied at 29 at the break, it was the first four minutes of the second half that ended up defining the game, as the Aggies came out on a 9-2 run, a deficit Texas never overcame.
Texas A&M outscored the Longhorns 34-22 in points in the paint, had 14 assists to Texas’ 10, forced more turnovers than Texas did, and out shot them from the field and from the three-point line. They also recorded 20 bench points to Texas’ six. The only thing that really kept the game close was that the Longhorns scored eight more points from the line than the Aggies did. Outside of that, Texas A&M outplayed them in nearly every facet.
The most surprising statistic of the night was the aforementioned discrepancy in points in the paint, much of which was due to schematic advantages created by Bucky McMillan. They scored eight points based on flex cut actions in the second half alone, which could have been the difference in the game.
Four players finished with 17 points: Rashaun Agee (who also had 11 boards), Rylan Griffen, Jordan Pope, and Dailyn Swain. The best player on the floor was Agee, though, who had a monster impact on both ends, helping to secure the victory for the Aggies in Austin.
Texas falls to 11-7 on the season, while the Aggies climb to 14-4.
Will Gallagher/Inside Texas
Press conference quotes
Opening statement
“They outclassed us. They were the better team from start to finish. I thought there were a couple of key points in the game…We didn’t get much from our bench…It’s really important that we get quality production from our bench…it heavily favored their end…They [also] wore us down. Most disappointing, though, was that the first four minutes of the second half, we weren’t ready to play. There was one team that was running fast…one team was ready to play all the way to the end…one team that couldn’t quite get up and get after it…in a game of this meaning…That four minute segment [to start the second half] was a reflection of us not understanding the stakes here. From that point on, we don’t have that luxury and room for error to overcome a four-minute segment like that in any game of the 18 in SEC play…[in the middle eight], they crushed us.”
By the numbers, this is [one of the oldest] teams in the country. Should you be having to emphasize effort to this group?
There are a lot of older teams…we have guys that wear down easier than I’d like them to…basketball is a sport of great conditioning. There’s a mental part of it. Being able to fight through those periods of time…can you still play hard? Can you sustain effort and concentration? There are a lot of times this season that that has done us in.
You referenced the backdoor flex cuts several times, and the way that they attacked your help defense. How is this effort different from the one against a similar system in Alabama, and how do you prepare for a similar five-out system in Kentucky that also emphasizes pace?
“They are different in the screening actions I’m talking about…we have to be able to cover, scout, concentrate, go over, be alert [when they happen] in a game, so if in fact they score on it, the player has to make a great play to score – not catch, layup, catch, layup…it was too easy for them. They were 15 for 25 in the second half…[As for Kentucky], I’m not as familiar with them [yet] because we’ve been preparing for the teams we’re currently playing against, but we have to bounce back and look as ready as can be [in Lexington].”