COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Ask a bartender for a Manhattan and the drink will typically come garnished with a cherry.
Tuesday, as the Aggies put Manhattan on ice, 109-68, it was Ruben Domiguez’s shooting that was a cherry on top for the Aggies.
With his ninth 3-pointer of the game, Dominguez set a new single-game record for makes from behind the arc. He finished the game 10 for 14 from 3-point range, encompassing all 30 of his game-high points.
“I was feeling good in the game, because I was playing good, but, I don’t know,” Dominguez said. “I’m in the game and I look at the scoreboard and it said 30. Yeah, it was crazy.”
Dominguez, who came to A&M (4-2) from professional ball in Spain, said his previous personal best was eight 3-pointers in a game. However, he knew from the start of the season that a performance like this was an inevitability.
Dominguez broke the previous team record of eight set by Bernard King against Lamar in 2000, Jerald Brown against Nebraska in 1997, and Josh Carter three times in 2006 and 2007.
Six of his 10 3-pointers came in the final 12 minutes of the game, where he shot 6 for 7 from behind the arc. Head coach Bucky McMillan has seen Dominguez hit dozens of 3-pointers in a row in practice. After the game, he joked with Dominguez about missing four.
“It felt like he was in a video game,” guard Marcus Hill said. “I was in the game, and if you seen me, I jumped. I’m like, ‘Whoa, is this for real?’ That’s crazy, though. It was amazing to see, man. I’m proud of him.”
Why did A&M win? After two losses and a close call against Montana on Tuesday, McMillan said Friday’s performance is more like what he expected from this group.
The Aggies used a 26-6 run through the middle of the first half to build a 20-point lead that ultimately buried Manhattan. Three of Dominguez’s 10 3-pointers were a part of the run, including back-to-back makes with approximately seven minutes remaining in the half.
A&M mounted a 13-3 run near the start of the second half to extend the lead to 35, which eventually grew to 41 by the end of the game.
The Aggies shot 58% from the field and 39% from 3-point range, which is closer to what McMillan expects from this team, he said. Over the last three games, the Aggies haven’t shot better than 31% from behind the arc.
“We’re not in the shape we have to be in to play the way that we’re going to play,” McMillan said. “For whatever reason. We weren’t totally — and you could see it. You could tell tonight, there was energy throughout the game. There was effort throughout the game and had legs to make shots late.”
Who stood out? Beyond Dominguez, Hill posted 19 points, including a 2-for-4 clip from 3-point range. Rylan Griffin had 17, with 4 of 7 coming from distance, and Jacari Lane posted 12 with a 2-for-4 clip from 3.
Forward Rashaun Agee was a point shy of a double-double with 10 rebounds.
Manhattan’s Terrance Jones posted a team-high 13 points, including a 3-for-3 night from 3-point range.
A&M standout forward MacKenzie Mgbako made his season debut with a start in Saturday’s game after missing the first five games of the season recovering from a Jones fracture in his foot. He managed four minutes in the game, but pulled himself due to discomfort, McMillan said.
“He felt it was hurting him a little bit,” he said. “Quite amped up to play. Our trainer thinks he’s good, but he wanted to give it a go tonight. See if he could. I’m sure he’ll be back next game.”
Also, guard Pop Isaacs did not play due to a “team deal,” McMillan said.
“He’ll be back,” McMillan said. “He’s working through some stuff right now.”
What was a key stat? As a team, Texas A&M hit 18 3-pointers, which set a new single-game team record. The previous high was 16 set in 2017 against Savannah State.
What does this mean moving forward? McMillan has frequently said shooting is the biggest asset of this team. Friday could be a momentum-shifter after struggling from distance in the previous three games.
“Teams were probably shooting a little over their head versus us and us shooting well below where I know we’re capable of shooting,” he said. “Tonight was more indicative of what I would expect to see from our team shooting the ball.”
What’s next? The Aggies welcome Mississippi Valley State to Reed Arena for a 7 p.m. tip Tuesday.
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