FULLERTON, Calif. — D.J. Hogg scored 25 points, Admon Gilder added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Texas A&M cruised to a comfortable 95-73 win over Cal State Northridge in the first round of the Wooden Legacy at Cal State Fullerton on Thursday.
The Aggies (3-1) used a 27-4 run over the final 7:31 of the first half to separate from the Matadors (2-3), holding CSUN without a field goal for the final 9:12 and off the scoreboard entirely for the final 4:28.
Hogg provided the offense early on for Texas A&M, scoring 10 of the team’s first 14 points, but things got stagnant after he picked up his second foul with 15:11 remaining and sat for the rest of the half. It wasn’t until Gilder and Tyler Davisgot going, combining for 18 points and eight assists in the half, that Texas A&M found its footing.
Micheal Warren had 19 points and Tavrion Dawson added 13 for CSUN, which has now dropped its three games against Power 5 opposition by an average of 21.3 points.
BIG PICTURE
Texas A&M: The Aggies found their offensive balance. Texas A&M only had three scorers in double figures and was 6 of 23 from 3-point range in its loss to Southern California last week, but had seven players with at least eight points on Thursday as the shot selection and ball distribution was much improved. With a young lineup starting three sophomore and bringing touted freshman Robert Williams off the bench, spreading out production will be key during the ups and downs of SEC play.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M is only assured of one more nonconference game against Power 5 opposition, a December 17th game against No. 8 Arizona. The Aggies will hope to draw Virginia Tech for Friday’s second-round game and get a showcase against the Bruins in the championship game Sunday.
Texas A&M Basketball
Postgame Notes
Texas A&M 95, CSUN 73
Nov. 24, 2016 ? Titan Gym (Fullerton, Calif.)
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
? The Aggies improved to 3-1 with a 95-73 victory over CSUN Thursday during the opening round of the 2016 Wooden Legacy at Titan Gym in Fullerton, Calif.
? The meeting was the first ever between the two schools on the hardwood.
TEAM NOTES
? The 53 points scored by the Aggies during the first half set a Wooden Legacy record for points in an opening stanza.
? Texas A&M held an opponent under 38 percent shooting for the fourth consecutive game, allowing the Matadors to convert just 37.5 percent of their attempts in the contest (24-for-64).
? On the offensive end the Aggies shot 53.1 percent (34-of-64), including a blistering 20-of-34 mark (58.8 percent) in the first half.
? A&M ended the opening period on a 17-0 run, holding the Matadors without a field goal for the half’s final 9:12 to take a 53-28 lead into the intermission.
? Texas A&M used the starting lineup combination of JC Hampton, Admon Gilder, DJ Hogg, Tonny Trocha-Morelos and Tyler Davis for the fourth time this season (3-1).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
? Sophomore forward DJ Hogg got off to a torrid start in the contest, scoring 10 points in the game’s first 4:23 en route to finishing with a career-high 25 points … The sharpshooter finished 9-of-12 from the field with a 3-of-4 mark from 3-point range.
? Sophomore guard Admon Gilder also enjoyed a big afternoon, setting his personal best with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting … The Dallas native added seven boards and five assists (just one turnover) in the win.
? Freshman Robert Williams tied his season high with 11 points, while sharing top rebounding honors at seven with Gilderand senior Tavaio Miller. Williams also added a game-best four blocks during the outing.
? Graduate senior transfer JC Hampton also hit a season best with nine points, connecting on 3-of-5 3-point field goals.
? Freshmen Mark French and Kyle Nugent each made their Texas A&M debuts in the contest, while sophomore Frank Byerssaw his first action of the season.
? Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy improved to 102-71 in his sixth season at Texas A&M and 313-250 in 19 seasons as head coach.
UP NEXT
? The Aggies return to the court tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. (CT) where they will face the winner of today’s New Mexico-Virginia Tech matchup in the winner’s bracket of the 2016 Wooden Legacy.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics