COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M might have found its point guard of the future — and its point guard of the present for a program desperately trying to make the NCAA Tournament. Freshman T.J. Starks scored 16 points and A&M used a strong second half to defeat Arkansas 80-66 on Tuesday night in Reed Arena.
“He’s just grown up,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said of Starks, who’s taken over the starting role the past two games. “When he gets coached, he handles it a lot better. He’s maturing more than anything.”
That newfound maturity was on display against the Razorbacks, as Starks commanded the offense and made 4 of 5 from 3-point range along the way.
“In the second half he did a better job of making the extra pass,” Kennedy said. “He’s always been a scorer first, and he’s starting to learn how to run the offense and get other guys shots.”
The Aggies clutched a 33-32 halftime lead despite committing 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. A&M (14-8, 3-6 Southeastern Conference) came out hot in the second half, building a 44-34 lead a little more than two minutes in thanks to a dunk by Tyler Davisand 3-pointers from D.J. Hogg, Starks and Admon Gilder.
Hogg followed up that flurry with two more 3-pointers over the next couple of minutes, in showing some of the long-range form that made him so impactful early in the season for the Aggies.
“I just had to trust my shot and keep shooting,” Hogg said. “It started falling and my teammates kept finding me. The bucket seemed to open up for everybody, too.”
Meanwhile, Davis was the only rebounder on either team in double digits with 13, including 11 on offense.
Daryl Macon led Arkansas (15-7, 4-5) with 20 points, and Jaylen Barford added 19 for the Razorbacks, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped.
“Our defense in the second half was not the brand we played in the first half,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. “Before you knew it, we let their one-point lead blow up to double figures.”
Postgame Notes
RECORDS / SERIES NOTES
- Texas A&M improved to 14-8 on the season with a 3-6 mark in SEC play following an 80-66 win over Arkansas on Tuesday inside Reed Arena.
- With the victory, Texas A&M snapped a three-game losing streak against the Hogs with Arkansas maintaining a 101-55 lead in the all-time series … the Aggies have lost just once in the Razorbacks’ five trips to Reed Arena.
TEAM NOTES
- After holding a 33-32 lead at the intermission, the Aggies distanced themselves with a 26-6 scoring run in the opening seven minutes of the second period to open up a 21-point advantage.
- Texas A&M dominated the glass on the night, holding a 45-30 edge on the boards and outrebounding its opponent for the 18th time in 22 games.
- The Aggies found their 3-point stroke by hitting their most threes in conference play on a 10-of-26 shooting from long distance … after hitting 3-of-14 in the first half, the Aggies canned their first six triples of the second half.
- The Aggies distributed the ball all night with 19 assists on their 28 field goals including 12 dimes in the second period.
- A&M used the starting lineup combination of TJ Starks, Admon Gilder, DJ Hogg, Robert Williams and Tyler Davis for the second time this season (1-1).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Junior center Tyler Davis carded his fourth double-double in the last five games, giving him nine on the season as well as 15 for his three-year career … Davis finished a career-high 11 offensive rebounds contributing to the Aggie 34 points in the paint … overall, Davis had 15 points and 13 boards.
- In his second career start, freshman guard TJ Stark led the team in scoring with a career-high 16 points … Starks hit 4-of-5 behind the arc while also contributing a team-high five assists.
- Sophomore forward Robert Williams reached double-figures in scoring for the fifth consecutive game … the Oil City, La., native connected on 5-of-6 field goals and added three blocks.
- Junior guard Admon Gilder put up 13 points and collected eight boards in the win …the Dallas, Texas, native added two steals, two assists and eight boards on the night.
- Aggie head coach Billy Kennedy improved to 129-93 during his seven-year tenure at Texas A&M and 340-272 in 20 seasons as a head coach.
UP NEXT
- The Aggies host South Carolina on Saturday inside Reed Arena as the program celebrates Autism Awareness Day and Legacy Day … the game will be televised on ESPN2 and tip off at 1 p.m. (CT).
Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy
Aggie forward DJ Hogg and guard TJ Starks
ARKANSAS HEAD COACH MIKE ANDERSON
Opening Statement…
“First, congratulations to Billy Kennedy and his team. We know he has a very good basketball team. He got all of the pieces together. I thought the second half was probably the best they’ve played. They had a little bit to do with it and we had a little bit to do with it. Our defense was not playing the brand we played early in the first half. In the second half we came out and we turned the ball over a couple times and before you know it, it’s like a snowball effect. They started scoring on the other end. Hogg made some big shots for them. Before you know it, a lead that was one point all of a sudden goes up to double figures. We had some guys that were struggling on the offensive end. We’re a pretty good basketball team, but if we don’t get anything out of the forwards inside that puts a lot of pressure on the perimeter. They were able to concentrate on the perimeter guys. It was like a tale of two halves. I didn’t think we played very well, especially in the second half.”
On Hogg’s big shots…
“He’s too good of a player. He’s eventually going to make some. A couple times, we had some missed assignments. A lot of guys shoot right at the 3-point line, Hogg was probably about four or five feet away from the 3-point line.”
On Daniel Gafford’s performance…
“I thought when he got in foul trouble it threw him off. He was playing not to foul. He wasn’t playing in the same aggressive mode that he’s capable of doing. We’re continuing to build on and encourage as he goes to play at home, play on the road, and play against different style of guys. It wasn’t just one big kid. It was a physical game. There were two or three guys in there that you’re going against with your body. He’ll learn. He’s a freshman.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics