A&M's Defense Dominates, Advances in NCAA

0:00On March 20, Texas A&M pulled off a solid 63-50 win over St. Mary's in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday night. In Oklahoma City, the number 10 seed Aggies never trailed, using their quick, high-pressured defense to disrupt the taller gales from the opening tip. St. Mary's managed just 50 points, their lowest of the season, while committing 18 turnovers. The Aggies dominated inside despite their smaller lineup, outscoring St. Mary's 28-12 in the paint and shooting over 60 percent. At the rim, Rashan A.G. led with 22 points and 9 revounds, while Ruben Dominguez added 11 in the first half alone. St. Mary's hit 10 threes, but struggled elsewhere, missing shots close to the basket and from the line. Coaches and players praise A&M's effort, calling it their best defensive game of the year. The gales big men, including their top scorer who was under the weather, combined for zero points. St. Mary's A&M's guard stepped up lay with key threes to keep the lead comfortable.

1:02Coming into the tournament, the Aggies had lost 7 of 11 games and bond out early in the SEC tournament. That rough loss fired them up, especially on rebounding, turning things around just in time. Now A&M faces number 2, seed Houston Saturday at 5.10pm, a rematch from last year's tournament where the cougars edged them in overtime. The Aggies know it'll take the same defensive fire to advance deeper.