Bball Recap: Aggies Roll Through American, 76-53

With the first high-profile contest against USC looming, the Aggies faced a potential stumbling block with the American Eagles. The Eagles previously took #25 Maryland down to the wire with a narrow 6-point defeat and their shifty guards, Delante Jones and Sa’eed Nelson, threatened to cause trouble for A&M’s backcourt. The maroon and white did not trip up and took care of business Monday night, dispatching the Eagles 76-53. Here are some takeaways from last night.

The stars shined bright

The big three lived up to their billing, scoring 38 of A&M’s 76 points. Tyler Davis looked outright dominant, tallying 17 points in only 20 minutes of playing time. His post game is as polished as ever, and provides such a safety net on offense. It felt at times last night like they could just go to Davis in the paint when they needed to for an easy layup or trip to the free throw line.

DJ Hogg was active on the boards, grabbing 9 rebounds to go along with 12 points. Admon Gilder put up Caruso-like stats with 9 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. A&M’s success runs through these three players, and will be a tough out for any opponent when this trio is clicking.

Up and down night for the backcourt

The tandem of Gilder, JC Hampton, and Caleb Smith scored some points but struggled defensively and turning the ball over. American’s guards got inside the paint on multiple occasions, but A&M’s size underneath mostly prevented converting any of them into points. The Eagles copied what Northwestern State did in the opener with constant pressure, and this led to an 11-0 run in the 2nd half. While this never put the outcome in question, it could be an area of concern when the Ags face more formidable opponents.

Highlights on Highlights for Robert Williams

What’s not shown in this highlight is a 1^st half block that soared into the A&M bench and another swat immediately after the alley-oop. The freshman is as good as advertised thus far and has many Sportscenter Top-10’s ahead of him.

Overall, the Aggies put on a solid performance against an opponent that could have made things interesting Monday night. This Friday provides a good litmus test against a talented USC squad coming off of a NCAA tournament appearance last season. If you’re able, pack out Reed and #BTHOUSC.