Mens Basketball Cruises Past the Miss. State Bulldogs 88-68
Photo Credits: Anastasia Acosta
Youngchan Kang
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - After back-to-back road games, Texas A&M men’s basketball returned to Reed Arena to face off against Mississippi State. In a packed Reed Arena full of Maroon and White, it was Graduate forward Rashaun Agee career night where the Aggies cruised Bulldogs, 88-68.
Senior guard Jacari Lane opened the game with a three for the Aggies that roared the 12th Man into excitement. That excitement went away as the Bulldogs went on a 10-4 run to take the lead. Agee bullied his way for a lay-up plus a foul, which he calmly knocked down the free throw to tie up the game at 10 a piece.
In a battle where both teams traded buckets, Agee and Lane continued to be dangerous in SEC play with a combined 12 points out of 21 for the Aggies. However, junior G Josh Hubbard poised to be a scoring threat to the Aggies as he calmly scored 8 points to keep the Bulldogs competitive in the first half. The Bulldogs were neck-and-neck with the Fightin’ Farmers, 25-21.
Back-to-back threes from senior G Rylan Griffin looked familiar to his second half performance against Texas. Lane hit another three to extend the lead after a turnover by the Bulldogs. Senior F Brandon Walker made two baskets to slow the Aggies’ run, 34-25.
Griffin continued his hot streak as he knocked down two free throws and a mid-range jumper, giving the Aggies an 11-point lead. Despite Mississippi State scoring eight points in the final two minutes, A&M nearly matched with six points of their own and led 44-33 at the end of the first half.
Agee and Griffin continued to bully the Bulldogs, with 10 points combined to start the second half. A three from junior G Pop Isaacs gave the Aggies a commanding lead over the Bulldogs, 57-41.
Both teams continued to battle it out in the second half, with a 16-16 run by the Aggies. Agge, graduate G Marcus Hill, sophomore G Ruben Dominguez, junior G Josh Holloway and 5th year G Ali Dibba continued to match the scoring output against the Bulldogs.
A&M maintained its lead in the last few minutes of the game, protecting home court on a final score of 88-68. The Aggies will stay in Reed Arena and face off against South Carolina on Saturday, January, 24th at 2:30 p.m.
