Credit to Brad Marquardt | Assistant Athletics Director for Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The second-largest season-opening crowd in Texas A&M men’s basketball history was treated to a 78-46 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Monday at Reed Arena.
The boisterous crowd of 8,802, which included more than 2,000 students, trailed only the 2007-08 lid lifter crowd of 9,276 in attendance for the Aggies’ 73-50 win over McNeese on Nov. 9, 2007.
Leading the way was senior Hayden Hefner, who poured in a career-high 19 points while connecting on 7-of-10 shots, including a trio of 3-pointers. Junior Wade Taylor IV filled the box score with 16 points, six assists and four rebounds, while connecting on four treys. Other Aggies in double figures were graduate transfer Eli Lawrence with 11 and sophomore Solomon Washington with 10. Senior Henry Coleman controlled the glass with a game-high eight rebounds.
With Coleman leading the effort, the Aggies nearly doubled the Lions in rebounding with a 47-to-25 advantage on the glass with seven players pulling down at least four boards. Texas A&M has a 16-to-7 advantage in offensive rebounding.
The Lions stayed close early, trailing by just a point at 21-20 at the 8:18 mark of the first half, but the Aggies steadily pulled away for a 42-27 bulge at the break. In the second stanza, the Aggie defense clamped down on Commerce, allowing only 19 points to get to the final winning margin of 32 points.
After the game, Aggie head coach Buzz Williams, who won his 75th game at Texas A&M, made a plea to the 12th Man to support the family of Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Jaret von Rosenberg, whose wife, Sarah, suffered a stroke on Oct. 13 and remains hospitalized. von Rosenberg and his wife have three young children. A “go-fund-me” page for the von Rosenberg family can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-von-rosenberg-family.
The Aggies return to action on Friday with a 6 p.m. matchup against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
- Texas A&M opened the 2023-24 season with a 78-46 victory over Texas A&M Commerce Monday night at Reed Arena.
- Texas A&M extends its streak to 23 consecutive season-opening wins.
- The Aggies’ all-time record between the two teams is now 4-1.
- Tonight’s total attendance was 8,802. This is the second-most attended season-opener in Reed Arena since Nov. 9th, 2007, where 9,276 were in attendance for the Aggies’ win over McNeese, 73-50.
TEAM NOTES
- In the second half, the Aggies held the Lions to 19 points on 6-of-28 shooting and 1-of-14 from the 3-point line.
- In the first half, A&M out-assisted Texas A&M-Commerce 11-5. The Aggies finished the game with a 21-9 advantage.
- Texas A&M went on a 15-5 run and led 42-27 going into the second half. This is the largest lead in an opening game since 2020 when A&M led New Orleans by 17 in the season opener.
- Four Aggies made their debut in the maroon and white.
- Four Aggies scored in the double-digits, and two of those scorers came off the bench.
- Texas A&M won by 32, the largest win since Jan. 14th, 2023 against South Carolina where the Aggies won by 41.
- A&M out-rebounded Texas A&M-Commerce, 47-25 with 16 offensive boards and 31 defensive caroms.
- Texas A&M used the starting lineup combination of Wade Taylor IV, Tyrece Radford, Hayden Hefner, Henry Coleman III and Wildens Leveque for the first time this season (1-0).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Hayden Hefner led the team in points with 19. This is Hefner’s career-high surpassing the 17 he scored against Missouri on Mar. 5th, 2022.
- Hefner went 3-for-6 from the 3-point line and 7-for-10 from the field.
- Solomon Washington registered his third double-digit game in his career with 10 points.
- Wade Taylor IV tallied 16 points, marking the 45th time in his career scoring in the double-digits. Taylor IV also led the team in assists tonight with six.
- Eli Lawrence made his Aggie debut and racked up 11 points in 11 minutes of play. Lawrence went 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 from the 3-point line.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Buzz Williams
On Hefner’s growth…
“Hayden Hefner has had great growth. He’s done a really good job of hanging in there his first three years. He’s always in the right place. He’s guarded as an elite level shooter and that makes the game easier for our other guards. He’s made great strides in what we want him to do on the glass. I thought he played outstanding.”
On home opening crowd
“It was the second largest home opening crowd in Texas A&M home opening history… to have that type of crowd for game number one; we sincerely appreciate it.”
Junior Guard Wade Taylor IV
On Hefner’s big game…
“I see Hefner work every day. He’s in the gym consistently so I knew when the time was right, he was going to show everyone what he had in his bag. I feel like today was his coming out party.”
Senior Guard Hayden Hefner
On his new role with the team…
“I feel like there is a lot more that is going to be asked from me and I’m capable of stepping up to the plate for that. I know what’s going to be asked of me, I know what to expect day in and day out, and I think that’s the same for everybody. We all know our role, and we’re all able to buy in and really give 110% every day.”