3 takeaways from Lamar-Texas A&M: Aggies show depth, unleash offensive barrage in win

Despite a slow start, No. 23 Texas A&M men’s basketball put on an offensive showcase with a 97-71 win over Lamar on Monday night at Reed Arena. Four players scored double digits as the Aggies got 51 points from their bench.

The game was a final tuneup before A&M plays its second power conference opponent of the season in No. 21 Ohio State on Friday. Here are a few takeaways from the Aggies’ win:

A&M shook off a slow start to take a commanding lead

In contrast to last week’s win against East Texas A&M, the Aggies took some time to get going with just nine points through five minutes of action. But when A&M found its groove, it held on to it for the rest of the night. It took a 50-29 lead into halftime and maintained that intensity through the second half.

“I thought, collectively, we were all on the same page,” coach Buzz Williams, who earned his 350th career win, said. “I thought there was great symmetry on what we’re trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor. … Pleased in many respects, for sure.”

Senior SMU transfer guard Zhuric Phelps led the team in scoring for the second game in a row with 16 points and didn’t slow down with 11 coming in the final 20 minutes. He added a team-high seven assists in 28 minutes of action. Graduate G Wade Taylor IV posted 15 points on a near-even split between both halves. The Lancaster product hit a trio of three-pointers on 50% shooting from long range.

“[Zhuric] changes our team,” graduate forward Henry Coleman III said. “Testament to him, he’s the same person every single day, so it’s not a shock to us when, right off an injury, he comes in and just is Zhuric and he’s putting up the numbers he’s putting up.

“His leadership has also helped us a lot. It’s somebody that we really need on the floor, and he makes a huge impact, not just scoring, but in other things as well.”

The Aggies stayed hot from three-point range

A&M turned up the temperature from beyond the arc and rode it to an insurmountable lead at the break. The Aggies nailed eight of their first 12 three-point attempts and finished the night going 12-of-26 from long range.

Taylor and graduate Nebraska transfer guard CJ Wilcher combined for six three-pointers on a 54.5% clip while senior forward Andersson Garcia and junior F Solomon Washington also found the net from deep. On the opposite end, Lamar hit just one of eight three-point shots in the first half.

“I think those guys that are working to make it part of their game, we call it ‘shooting with Buzz’ shots because it’s the shots that I would shoot,” Williams said. “[Garcia] and [Washington] have improved in that regard.”

After finding most of their scoring in the paint through the first two games of the season, the Aggies showed their versatility on offense from beyond the arc.

“I don’t think we go into a game thinking we’re going to score in the paint or more from three-point,” Coleman said. “I think it’s just the feel of the game. We have really good basketball players out there, so I think guys are always prepared to take the right shot and I think tonight we took the right shot and when people were open they made those shots.”

The Aggies showcased their depth down the bench

A&M’s offense didn’t end when its starters left the game as it gained 51 bench points, spurred by a career-high 15 from Garcia and 13 from Coleman. Garcia complemented his scoring with a team-high nine rebounds, while Coleman added seven boards, including five on the offensive glass. They each hit five of their seven shots.

Garcia’s previous career high of 14 points ironically came against A&M at Reed Arena in 2022 when he played for Mississippi State.

“It’s been a lot of shots that I’ve been putting up during the summer,” Garcia said. “Shoutout to the ocaches that have been trusting me and giving me the confidence to take those shots.

“I’m not trying to only help the offensive rebounding side, I’m trying to be able to provide this stuff to make good passes, making plays for my teammates and be able to provide scoring and stuff like that.”

Wilcher and senior G Manny Obaseki combined for 17 points despite Obaseki only appearing in the second half. With offensive capabilities throughout the lineup, the Aggies have options to find the basket even if it’s not someone’s night.

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