Boxscore

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- It took over 30 minutes of play before the nationally no. 12 ranked Texas A&M Aggies (3-0; 0-0 Big XII) were finally able to pull away from a resilient Louisiana Tech Bulldog basketball team (0-2; 0-0 WAC) 75-59 on the second night of the Shelby Metcalf Classic in Reed Arena.

?We did improve tonight,? Tech head coach Keith Richard said. ?For us, it was a good first half, and then it got away from us in the second when we had some slip ups. It was disappointing because we played good in the first half and made some improvements.?

The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 8-2 run to cut the halftime deficit to 38-36 with 17:02 on the clock after a senior Marcus Elliot three-pointer. Over the next five minutes, however, the Aggies would extend their lead with a 12-2 run of their own for a 50-38 score with 11:12 left in the game and coasted the rest of the way for the win.

After the first Aggie basket of the night, senior Harry Disy put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with a lay-up and a foul to put Tech ahead 3-2. After a few more A&M baskets, Elliot also knocked down a three pointer less than two minutes after to cut the lead to 9-6 with 15:52 in the first half.

Elliot followed soon after with much needed fourteen-footer at the 14:30 mark to cut the Aggie lead to 11-8. A&M scored four unanswered points before freshman Drew Washington connected on two free throws to put the score at 15-10 with 12:43 in the first half.

The Aggies answered with a 10-5 run over the next four minutes capped off by a Josh Carter three-pointer from the corner at the 8:14 mark. Elliot scored his seventh point of the game on the following possession to cut the lead to 20-17. Senior Chad McKenzie then tacked on two free throws for a 20-19 score.

Tech then took the lead back 23-22 at the 5:59 mark with another three from Elliot. The Aggies answered with four unanswered points to take the lead back 26-23 before senior Jerome Richardson hit two free throws to put the score at 26-25. Elliot finished with 11 points in the first half.

The Aggies put together a 7-0 run before Washington hit his first three-pointer of the ballgame at the 1:01 mark in the first half for a 33-28 score in favor of A&M. The Aggies hit one last three-pointer before halftime and took a 36-28 lead into the locker room.

?We wanted to improve offensively,? Richard said. ?It didn?t necessarily show in points our field goal percentage, but these are two tough teams we?ve opened up with. We still have to make plays to beat teams like this.?


Tech was led by Elliot in scoring with 17 points, while McKenzie finished with 12. Washington finished with double-digits (10) for the first time in his Bulldog career while adding six rebounds. Senior Acie Law IV led the scoring for the Aggies with 21.

The Bulldogs and the Aggies had met four times prior to Saturday night with A&M now leading the all-time series 3-2.

Tech returns to action Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. against Lamar (1-2; 0-0 Southland) for the final day of the Metcalf Classic. The game will be broadcast live on local FM Z107.5 with pregame beginning at 2:30 p.m.