No. 25 Aggies turn back Vols for sixth straight win

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Powered by the inside-outside combination of Julius Marble and Wade Taylor IV, the No. 25 Texas A&M men’s basketball team defeated the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers. .

It was the sixth straight SEC win for the Aggies, who improved to 21-7 overall and 13-2 in league play. The Volunteers fell to 20-8 overall and 9-6 in the SEC.

The 13 conference wins are tied for the fifth-most in school history for the Aggies with three games to play. It was the Aggies’ third win over a ranked opponent this year after a previous victory at No. 20 Missouri and then-No. 15 Auburn.

Taylor IV, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, led the Aggies in scoring for the fifth straight game with 25 points, while Marble, a junior transfer from Dallas through Michigan State, muscled in a career-high 21 points and matched the season high with. nine rolls. The SEC leader in free-throw percentage, Taylor hit an impressive 16-of-17 from the free throw line.

Deadlocked at halftime, 31-31, the Aggies came out hot in the second stanza to quickly take a four-point advantage, but Tennessee roared back to take a one-point advantage at the 15:28 mark. Ten seconds later Dexter Dennis countered with a jumper that gave the Aggies a lead they would never relinquish.

The Maroon & White eventually made it nine points but the veteran Vols would not stop as they outscored Texas A&M 15-7 over the next five minutes to pull within a point at 57-56 with seven minutes remaining.

With the game in the balance, Taylor and Marble accounted for the Aggies’ final 11 points, including seven free throws, and the Aggies’ defense limited UT to seven points with just three field goals in the final seven to five minutes. point win.

Scoring in double figures for the 10th straight game was graduate Tyrece Radford with 10 points. The Aggies connected on 40% from the field while attempting nine more shots than the Volunteers and hit 28-of-34 from the line.

Postgame Quotes

Coach Buzz Williams

In response from the team when they went down… “It’s amazing how much they care and the togetherness they compete with and the unity between the players and the staff and the unity between the players and the staff. reach empty, they play with effort and togetherness.”

Sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV

When playing in front of a crowd… It means a lot. Our fans know when to cheer and when to keep quiet. When we needed a big stop at the end, it was too loud and I couldn’t hear it. The momentum and the pressure they put on the other team was huge and helped us.

Junior forward Julius Marble

How to fight a tough game… “It starts in practice. The coaching staff prepares us for situations where we have to stop and get a turkey in the last minute or two to win the game. always poised in those situations.”

Noted

• The Aggies are 2-4 against the Vols in the Buzz Williams era. Texas A&M snapped a three-game losing skid against Tennessee at Reed Arena and moved to 11-7 in the all-time series.
• Three players finished in double figures for the third straight game and 12th of the season. Julius Marble (21) and Wade Taylor IV (25) finished with 20 or more points for the second time this season. The duo previously accomplished this feat on February 7, 2023 against Auburn.
• The Aggies are 3-0 against ranked opponents this season.
• Texas A&M used the starting lineup combination of Henry Coleman III, Dexter Dennis, Julius Marble, Tyrece Radford and Wade Taylor IV for the 19th time this season (16-3).
• Marmer recorded a career-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 9-of-13 from the charity stripe. Logged his 12th double figure of the season and 21st of his career. Matched the season with nine rebounds. Led the team in rebounds eight times this season.
• Radford registered double figures for the 10th straight game after finishing with 10 points. It marked the 20th time this season he has finished in double figures and the 78th of his career.
• Taylor IV led all players with 25 points to match his career high. Log 20 or more points for the second straight game. Recorded double figures for the fifth straight game, while also leading the team in points in the last five games. Finished in double figures for the 21st time this season and 37th of his career.
• Taylor IV also registered his second straight game of scoring in double figures with free throws after going 16-of-17 from the charity stripe. The last player to hit the free throw line 15 or more times was Emmanuel Miller against Tarleton on December 2, 2020.
• In the last two minutes of the game at 10 points, Taylor is a perfect 18-for-18 from the charity stripe this season. He went 4-for-4 vs. Tennessee in the final 17 seconds.
• Taylor IV also had a team-high four steals.