News Release from Texas A&M Athletics:
OXFORD – With the SEC on CBS cameras watching for the final time, the Texas A&M men’s basketball team made a statement to the national audience with a wire-to-wire domination of the Ole Miss Rebels, 86-60, on Saturday at the Pavilion at Ole Miss.
The victory was the Aggies third in a row as they head into the SEC Tournament on a heater. Texas A&M secured the No. 7 seed next week as the Maroon & White improved to 9-9 in SEC play and 18-13 overall. The Rebels fell to 20-11 and 7-11 with the Senior Day loss.
Heading into the halftime with a 13-point advantage, the Aggies kept the pressure on in the second stanza and eventually settled on a 26-point margin of victory.
The new-look Aggies were powered by its guard trio of juniors Manny Obaseki and Wade Taylor IV and graduate Tyrece Radford, who torched the Rebels for a combined 63 points. Obaseki led the way with his fourth straight double-digit scoring game of 25 points, which was a career high, followed by Radford and Taylor with 19. The trio combined to connect on nine shots from beyond the arc as the Aggies hit an SEC season high 13 treys for the game.
Taylor and Radford filled the box score with Taylor dishing seven assists, making a pair of steals and securing five rebounds, while Radford logged his third double-double of the season with 10 rebounds and dished out four assists. .
Solomon Washington chipped in his first-career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while SEC rebounding leader and Sixth-Man of the Year candidate Andersson Garcia turned his typical yeoman work with 13 rebounds, including four off the offensive glass.
Garcia’s big day gave him the school record for rebounds in a conference season with 180, breaking the nearly 60-year old record of 178 by All-American John Beasley in 1966. On the full season rebounding list, Garcia vaulted past Beasley and Rudy Woods to No. 3 with 292 caroms collected in 31 games.
The SEC leaders in rebound margin, the Aggies ruled the glass with 50 total rebounds, while limiting the Rebels to 21. Texas A&M grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, which contributed to 20 second-chance points and 36 points in the paint. The M&W hit 50% from the field, 50% from beyond the arc and earned 15 free throw attempts.
The Aggies started the game on fire as they streaked to 9-0 lead to force an Ole Miss timeout and continued to 14-0 advantage at the first media timeout of the game. Five different players contributed points during the quick start, led by Obaseki with a 3-pointer, a dunk, a layup and free throw to spark the Aggies. The lead bulged to 18 before the Rebels made a run that carved the lead to six points with just over six minutes remaining in the first half before the Aggies reasserted their momentum with a 14-7 finish to take a 42-29 lead into the break.
GAME NOTES:
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Andersson Garcia’s 13-rebound performance vs. the Rebels gave him the school record for rebounds in a conference season with 180, breaking the nearly 60-year old record of 178 by All-American John Beasley in 1966. On the full season rebounding list, Garcia vaulted past Beasley and Rudy Woods to No. 3 with 292 caroms collected in 31 games.
GIVE ME SOME MO: Manny Obaseki continues his hot streak as he led the team in scoring in back-to-back game for the first time in his career while scoring a career-high 25 points and making a career-high four three’s.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Both Solomon Washington and Tyrece Radford recorded double-doubles against the Rebels. Washington registered the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Radford compiled his third of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The last time Radford had three double-doubles in a season was his 2019-2020 season at Virginia Tech.
BALL GUARDS: Wade Taylor IV, Radford and Obaseki combined for 63 of the 86 points scored by the Maroon & White. Taylor went 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, Obaseki registered nine field goals and hit four of five three-balls and Radford tallied eight FGs and three from three.
GLASS CLEANING: Texas A&M dominated the boards collecting 50 rebounds to Ole Miss 21. The Aggies outrebounded the Rebels in the second half 27-to-9 and 18-to-5 on the offensive glass. It matched the second-highest rebound total of the conference season and marked the second time the Aggies have reeled in 50 boards in the current three-game winning streak.