Texas A&M’s (16-13, 7-9 SEC) five-game losing streak ended on Saturday night, defeating the Georgia Bulldogs on the road 70-56 behind veteran guard Tyrece Radford’s 20 points and ten rebounds. With two tough matchups against Mississippi State and Ole Miss to end the regular season, there’s absolutely no more room for error.
It may seem ludicrous that the Aggies still have a chance at the NCAA Tournament. Still, the program’s five Quad 1 wins coupled with a high-ranking strength of schedule keeps them in the running, while finally earning a win after more than two weeks has to be mentally encouraging going forward.
Credit where credit is due to Radford and reserve guard Manny Obaseki (12 points, five rebounds) for taking over the offensive production, while fearless forward and Dennis Rodman twin Andersson Garcia netted another double-double with 11 points and ten boards, all while star guard Wade Taylor IV stored just four points for his lowest output on the year.
While the team returned to attacking the basket, A&M’s 3-point shooting remains an issue, shooting just 26.7% percent with 30 attempts. This is who they are, but at least Saturday’s performance showed a team inching back to their early SEC play identity heading into the final stretch.
Here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 70-56 win over Georiga.
Tyrece Radford's 20-point outing was built on pure motivation
Tyrece Radford led the Aggies with 20 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday afternoon after several subpar performances during the A&M’s five-game losing streak, but he began to regain his composure in last Wednesday’s close loss to South Carolina (19 points, 10 rebounds)
Texas A&M is 7-1 this season when Radford scores at least 20 points. After Saturday’s win, his positive and encouraging demeanor despite the Aggies’ struggles could be the turn of the tide for a team that will need to go on a run to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Andersson Garcia is the most dependable player on the roster
Senior forward Andersson Garcia has quickly become an intriguing NBA prospect over the span of the season due to his elite rebounding ability, grabbing an eye-popping 275 rebounds on the year, including 132 offensive boards.
On Saturday, in 27 minutes off the bench, Garcia recorded his fourth double-double on the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds while providing some late offense to spur the Aggies scoring run in the paint. If A&M has any chance of winning the next two regular season matchups, Garcia’s presence, especially on defense, will need to take center stage.
Wade Taylor IV has struggled as of late
Wade Taylor’s 4-point performance was his lowest output all season after scoring in double digits in 25 games since November. Still, ever since the Aggies’ blowout win over Tennessee just two weeks ago, something has been off.
Struggling from the floor, including a 7-37 mark from beyond the arc, while his signature driving floater virtually disappeared during the five-game losing streak. Even though Radford’s performance covered for Taylor’s struggles on Saturday, it won’t be enough in the next two games and the SEC tournament. Can the old Wade Taylor please stand up?
Manny Obaseki proved that he deserves more playing time
Finishing the game with 12 points and a season-high 26 minutes played, reserve guard Manny Obaseki has continued to develop over the last week, becoming a reliable option when given the opportunity.
After scoring 11 points in Wednesday’s loss to South Carolina, head coach Buzz Williams hesitated to extend his minutes past the 15 mark. Still, after his most recent performance, it’s time to unleash the most athletic guard on the roster, especially if Wade Taylor struggles.
Simply put, Obaseski possesses the strength similar to Radford to consistently drive in the paint to finish or sustain a foul, which brought the Aggies back to their winning ways.
Texas A&M's suffocating defense eliminated the Bulldogs in the paint.
Texas A&M’s defense held Georgia scoreless from the field in the final six minutes of the second half, going on their own 10-0 run, eliminating the Bulldogs from converting seven shot attempts.
Scoring a mere 14 points in the paint, the Aggies suffocated Georiga from developing any balanced offensive approach, as their three-point shooting quickly fizzled out in the second half.
This may be a one-game sample, but remember that this was without forward Henry Coleman III, who should be back for Wednesday’s matchup against Mississippi State.
Texas A&M will host Mississippi State at Reed Arena on Wednesday, March 6, at 8 p.m. CT.
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