Aggies’ perfect start to SEC play spoiled
KENTUCKY 76, TEXAS A&M 67
Kentucky cooled off Texas A&M in Rupp Arena, but the upstart Aggies still have reason for optimism a third of the way through Southeastern Conference play.
The Wildcats defeated the Aggies 76-67 on Saturday in Lexington, Ky., handing A&M (13-6, 5-1 SEC) its first setback of league play while snapping the Aggies’ seven-game win streak.
The tight, sometimesheated contest had NCAA Tournament implications, considering both programs are on the early tournament bubble a little more than halfway through the regular season. Kentucky’s 9-point advantage at the end marked its largest lead of the game.
“We played with incredible fight,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said on his postgame radio show. “(The Wildcats) cause a lot of problems, and they put a lot of stress on you. And obviously, this is as good an atmosphere as there is at any level in basketball.”
Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves led all scorers with 23 points, including making 5-of-11 3-pointers, and Aggies guard Tyrece Radford followed with 22 points. The Aggies lost despite shooting 49 percent (24-of-49) from the floor compared to 40 percent (27-of-67) by the Wildcats. Kentucky launched 18 more shots from the field, however, in its fourth straight win over A&M.
“Mathematically, it’s just hard to overcome when the opponent shoots 18 more shots — that’s just hard to overcome,” Williams said.
The Aggies, following a disappointing 8-5 showing in nonconference play, won their first five conference games against Florida, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina and Florida again. While the two wins over the Gators were by a combined 5 points, the other three victories were by an average of 24 points.
The Wildcats (13-6, 4-3), under longtime coach John Calipari, are finally back on track and above .500 in SEC play with their third consecutive victory following a 1-3 start against league foes. Kentucky attempted 32 3-pointers, its most in a dozen years, in response to A&M’s packed defense that dares opponents to launch the long ball, and the Wildcats made 11.
“It was a physical, handto-hand combat game on both sides,” Calipari said on his postgame radio show. “(And) we shot 40 percent (from the field) — how in the world did we win?”
The game’s wildest few moments occurred with 17
minutes remaining in the second half, when Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, the reigning national player of the year, slapped A&M’s Julius Marble with a backhand to the face near midcourt as the two ran up the floor.
Marble responded by shoving Tshiebwe to the floor and into the first row of Kentucky cheerleaders following a field goal attempt by Tshiebwe down low. Officials hit both players with fouls after officials reviewed the goings-on, and the teams played on.
Then, with about 11 minutes left, A&M guard Dexter Dennis collided with Marble, who fell backward and hit his head on the floor. He was checked by trainers in the locker room and later returned during a 7-0 Kentucky run.
The Aggies’ overall optimism despite the loss stems from trailing by only 4 points with less than two minutes remaining, despite the Wildcats’ lopsided offensive rebounding advantage (17-4 by game’s end). A&M has been among the league’s top rebounders, but Kentucky held a 38-31 overall advantage on that front, as the Aggies were outrebounded in SEC play for the second time in six games this season.
“In the first half we had a 14-2 run … so there were stretches (of strong play), but you have to be accountable in this sort of environment,” Williams said of the Aggies competing in one of the most daunting atmospheres in the nation. “And the same thing is going to happen on Wednesday (at Auburn).”
The Aggies stay on the road in SEC play on Wednesday night at No. 16 Auburn. They return to Reed Arena on Saturday night against Vanderbilt, aiming for their sixth consecutive home victory.