BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — James Reese V scored 20 points to lead four in double figures and South Carolina pulled away about midway through the second half to beat Texas A&M 74-63 on Saturday night.
South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) has won three straight while Texas A&M (15-6, 4-4) has lost four consecutive games since ending an eight-game win streak.
Jermaine Couisnard and Erik Stevenson added 13 points apiece for the Gamecocks. Keyshawn Bryant had 12 points.
The Gamecocks used a 19-2 run for a 59-47 lead with 6:12 remaining. Couisnard made consecutive 3s and Stevenson scored five points during the stretch. The Aggies then pulled within six points three times but didn’t get closer.
Andre Gordon scored 14 points to lead the Aggies, which shot 34% (22 of 64) and missed 20 of their 25 3-point attempts. Henry Coleman III had 15 rebounds to go with 10 points. Quenton Jackson added 12 points.
South Carolina plays at Mississippi State on Tuesday. Texas A&M is on the road against No. 18 Tennessee on Tuesday.
Texas A&M Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
South Carolina 74, Texas A&M 63
Reed Arena (Bryan-College Station, Texas)
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
Texas A&M fell to South Carolina, 74-63, Saturday night inside Reed Arena.
The Aggies move to 15-6 (4-4 SEC) on the season.
South Carolina leads the all-time series, 9-4.
TEAM NOTES
As a team, the Aggies hauled in 41 total rebounds, their most during conference play this season.
A&M’s 20 offensive rebounds is the most against a Division I opponent this season. Previously, the Aggies had recorded 15 offensive boards against North Florida (11/10) and Oregon State (12/18).
The Aggies used the starting lineup of Marcus Williams, Ethan Henderson, Henry Coleman III, Andre Gordon, and Tyrece Radford for the ninth time this season (5-4).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Andre Gordon led Texas A&M in scoring for the third time this season with 14 points. After going pointless in back-to-back games against Kentucky and Arkansas, Gordon has averaged 16 points in the last two contests.
Quenton Jackson scored 12 points and secured five rebounds for the Aggies. The Los Angeles native has scored in double figures in three consecutive games and in 14 games this season.
Jackson scored 8 of his 12 points from the charity stripe and leads the team in FT%, shooting 84.8% on the season.
Henry Coleman III led the Aggies in rebounds with a career high 15, the most in a conference game since Savion Flagg had 15 against Arkansas on Jan. 5, 2019. HCIII hauled in 11 rebounds in the first half alone, the most in a single half since Christian Mekowulu had 12 against Mississippi State on March 9, 2019.
Coleman, the Maroon & White’s rebound leader on the season with 119, also dropped 10 points to secure the first double-double of his career.
Ethan Henderson recorded season highs in points and rebounds, totaling nine and eight, respectively. Henderson also recorded one block and has now registered a block in four consecutive games.
Tyrece Radford tallied five offensive rebounds, matching his season high in the category. Cumulatively, Boots hauled in six for the game, marking his 10th game with six-or-more rebounds this season.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M heads to Tennessee to take on the Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday, at 6 p.m.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Buzz Williams
Opening statement…
“I think we did a lot of great things tonight, particularly in the first half. The most important priorities for us in this game was to stop them in transition and then to contest those quick shots, and then the game would be decided on the rise of the shot. In the second half, I thought we guarded the ball better, but we were late in our rotation to contest those shots, particularly the threes.”
On Henry Coleman III’s career high in rebounds…
“He was great. Seven of his offensive rebounds led to the three times that he was fouled. He was hard to take off the floor, and I thought we were doing such a great job on the glass.”
Senior Forward Ethan Henderson
On the team’s shooting percentage…
“I trust my guards to shoot the ball. If they’re having a bad shooting night then they can attack the rim at the same rate that they can shoot the ball so if they’re in a slump, that’s fine.”
On his individual performance…
“Just being physical. We definitely harped on the physicality of the game against South Carolina and I felt like we did that to a T tonight, everybody just as a whole team.”
Sophomore Forward Henry Coleman III
On the team’s toughness…
“I think we were. South Carolina is a physical team, most SEC teams are. Our last few have been very physical. Arkansas and Kentucky for sure. So, it’s just something we’re getting used to but overall tonight I think we played pretty physical.”
On second half performance…
“I think, something we’ll have to go back and look at, I thought as a team we played very, very hard. I thought we competed even at the end. But overall, I think we just have to go back and look at it. I don’t think effort, competition or competing was a question in that though.”
On the disappointment of this loss…
“We go into the SEC preparing to win every game. I didn’t look at Kentucky or South Carolina any differently than I looked at South Carolina. As a team, we prepared the same way and we’re going to continue to prepare the same way for Tennessee. We look at every team the same. South Carolina is a heck of a team and they played hard tonight and it was a battle.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics