Hot hands turn cold in second half

Aggies can’t keep up early 3-point barrage in Maui opener

LAS VEGAS — As the saying goes, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

Texas A&M’s hot-shooting start in Monday’s opener at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational? Well, it stayed in the first half.

The Aggies’ luck ran out as an early 3-point barrage gave way to shooting struggles in a 69-58 loss to Wisconsin at the Michelob ULTRA Arena inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

“When you play Wisconsin, there’s not going to be a home run hit,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “There’s not going to be a knockout punch. It’s throw good pitches, throw good pitches, throw good pitches, throw good pitches, and then body blow, body blow, body blow.”

Texas A&M (4-1) will face Butler in a losers bracket game Tuesday.

The Aggies made six of seven 3-pointers to begin the game, including three in a row by guard Andre Gordon, to take a 26-10 lead.

After shooting 26.3 percent for the first 10 minutes, Wisconsin (3-1) closed out the first half on an 18-2 run. The stretch included a pair of 3s by Brad Davison and a two-handed dunk off a miss by Johnny Davis to end the half. A&M went the final 7:10 of the first half without a field goal.

The Badgers muscled their way inside (26 points in the paint) and relied on the 1-2 scoring punch of Davis (game-high 21 points) and Davison (19 points). The two players combined for 16 rebounds.

Wisconsin used a 15-3 burst to increase the lead to 61-45. A cold spell allowed the Aggies to get within 65-58 on a secondchance layup by Henry Coleman III with 1:12 left. But a 16-point hole was too much for the Aggies to overcome, even as the Badgers managed one field goal during the final 8:45.

Quenton Jackson was the Aggies’ only player in double figures with 15 points. After its hot start, A&M shot 30 percent the remainder of the game.

“We didn't get a lot of opportunities to shoot the ball as we did at the beginning of the game,” Gordon said. “We just didn't hit open shots when we had the chance and didn't get the opportunities.”

Rick Scuteri / Associated Press Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl, center, drives between Texas A&M guards Aaron Cash, left, and Quenton Jackson in the second half during the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The Aggies will face Butler on Tuesday.