COLLEGE STATION — In what was its worst shooting half of the season, Texas A&M men’s basketball trails Florida at the break, 30-19.
The Aggies called for a blackout crowd, and the 12th Man responded with the best crowd of the season. However, the Aggies started the game 1-for-27 from the field and hit just 1-of-14 shots from beyond the arc. They went over 10 minutes without scoring a bucket in the half.
Florida’s height and sound defense have been the difference, as A&M has been unable to establish any sustained offense in the first 20 minutes of action.
A&M outrebounded Florida 26-24, but lost the turnover battle 6-4 and was crushed in the paint 16-8.
Aggies’ forward Rashaun had a team-high five points, shooting 1-for-6 from the field. He also paced A&M on the boards with seven rebounds.
For the Gators, guard Urban Klavzar led all scorers, finishing the period with nine points while shooting 3-for-5 from the field. Center Micah Hanlogten led them in rebounding with five.
Stay tuned for updates from Saturday’s action:
As the offense continues to struggle, A&M finds itself slipping away from contention. The Aggies are shooting 23.7% from the field and 23.3% from beyond the arc.
Florida made eight shots in a row and went on a 14-1 run to extend its lead over A&M.
Things have gotten worse for the Aggies coming out of the break. The Gators are 5-for-5 coming out of halftime and have forced an A&M timeout as they pushed their lead to 19.
A&M just looks outmatched in every way. It’s being outscored, outrebounded and out-hustled. The result is a 14-point deficit at the final media timeout of the first half.
The Aggies missed 23 consecutive shots and have not made a basket in over 10 minutes of game action. The Gators haven’t been much better, shooting just 33.3% from the field, but because of A&M’s inept offense, they lead by 10.
A&M’s offense is nonexistent, scoring zero points since the first media timeout and shooting 5.6% from the field in the first eight minutes of the game. It is 0-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Offense has been a struggle for A&M early on, scoring just two points in the first four minutes of action. Florida’s size and defensive pressure have made it hard for the Aggies in every way.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Reed Arena
TV/radio: SEC Network, 1370 AM in Austin; 1150 AM, 93.7 FM in College Station.
Moneyline: Texas A&M +230, Florida -295
Spread:Texas A&M is a 6½ point underdog
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.