NCAAB Game Recap - Texas A&M at Missouri
Sat Feb 9, 2019 6:00 PM EST

Fla
61
Tenn
73
F
Duke
81
UVA
71
F
StMar
46
Gonz
94
F
KY
71
MissSt
67
F
NM
62
Nev
91
F
Wisc
52
Mich
61
F
Mia-FL
85
UNC
88
F(OT)
Minn
55
MSU
79
F
Vill
65
Marq
66
F
VaTec
51
Clem
59
F
OkSt
72
Kansas
84
F
Nebras
62
Purd
81
F
Lou
75
FSU
80
F(OT)
TCU
92
IaSt
83
F
TxTch
66
Okla
54
F
Aub
78
LSU
83
F
CenMI
76
Buff
90
F
Temp
58
Tuls
76
F
Prov
70
StJon
56
F
Butl
73
GTown
69
F
Boston
76
Buck
82
F
IL-C
76
IUPUI
75
F
Samf
84
VMI
77
F(OT)
Bingha
68
UNH
61
F
David
51
UMass
54
F
Miss
80
UGA
64
F
Monm
61
Fairf
49
F
Hamp
91
Winth
101
F
ColSt
66
Wyo
74
F
Albany
49
Vermt
67
F
BC
56
Syr
67
F
NCSU
79
Pitt
76
F
ChaSo
85
UNCA
75
F
Ohio
59
Mia-O
79
F
NIU
49
E MI
57
F
SJSU
57
Bois
105
F
Army
68
Amer
71
F
VCU
85
StBon
55
F
Duques
74
Ford
66
F
LoyMD
72
Colg
75
F
W MI
59
Ball
79
F
ArkSt
79
Troy
84
F
App
68
TexAr
78
F
WIMil
68
Clev
78
F
MtStM
76
SacHr
73
F
Ark
65
SouthCar
77
F
Elon
60
NE
72
F(OT)
W&M
87
Hof
93
F
JMU
59
Tows
66
F
FAU
74
UTSA
86
F
FaDi
84
StFNY
73
F
Ida
72
MTSt
86
F
Citad
67
Mercer
61
F
Rut
94
Ill
99
F(OT)
ETSU
61
Furm
91
F
Charl
86
Drex
84
F
USD
67
Pepp
70
F
IdaSt
72
S UT
78
F
Web
86
NoAZ
71
F
ArkLR
73
USA
68
F
CenCT
77
RobM
68
F
Dayt
77
URI
48
F
HiPt
66
Radf
69
F(OT)
How
70
FlaAM
66
F
NFla
82
N AL
73
F
DelSt
52
NCAT
82
F
NJIT
62
KennSt
63
F
Sac
59
N CO
65
F
Navy
57
Leh
83
F
USC-Up
66
Campbl
82
F
TNTec
58
TN-M
77
F
GWebb
101
Presb
103
F(OT)
Merrim
68
LIU
65
F
Morg
81
SCSt
85
F
Belm
96
MorSt
86
F
Norf
76
BethC
84
F
MD-ES
53
NCC
78
F
NWSt
74
McNee
72
F
Utah
93
UCLA
92
F
Denv
71
NDSU
81
F
CoCar
57
TxSt
65
F
Fres
83
UNLV
65
F
LaTec
71
USM
73
F(OT)
E IL
86
APSU
94
F
JU
77
Lipsco
86
F
Nich
64
NOrl
63
F
Cal
71
OrSt
79
F
JSU
81
SEMO
64
F
SeLA
75
CenAR
67
F
UND
55
SDSt
80
F
Lamar
82
SFA
67
F
W Ky
62
N TX
59
F
WIGB
77
YSU
96
F
Princ
70
Brown
78
F
KSU
70
Baylor
63
F
TAMU
68
Mizzu
59
F
NrthIA
77
Drake
83
F
GrgWas
63
Rich
89
F
Toled
78
BGSU
71
F
Copp
62
Savan
71
F
ArkPB
75
ASU
69
F
Gram
59
South
40
F
JackSt
52
Alc
66
F
UNCW
66
Del
70
F
WCU
56
Woff
83
F
UNCG
78
Chat
63
F
Corn
67
Harv
61
F
TNSt
65
E KY
75
F
Colum
66
Dart
82
F
ODU
55
MTSU
50
F
Oakl
64
NoKY
79
F
Penn
65
Yale
78
F
Detr
60
WriSt
83
F
UMassL
65
Stony
76
F
Bry
75
StFPA
84
F
FlGlf
67
Lib
74
F
SHSU
90
AbCh
85
F(2OT)
WaSt
69
Ariz
55
F
MsVl
63
AlaAM
78
F
CS-Ful
77
UCRiv
54
F
Tul
62
WichSt
77
F
InWor
61
TXAMC
70
F
DeP
74
Xav
62
F
Tex
75
WVU
53
F
Crei
58
Seton
63
F
Marsh
69
Rice
74
F
SIU-E
55
Murr
86
F
Evans
73
SIU
78
F
IndSt
67
Brad
96
F
UNCC
69
UAB
62
F
Bama
77
Vand
67
F
NMSt
67
GrCan
64
F
FIU
75
UTEP
85
F
E WA
74
Mont
75
F
Pacif
59
BYU
69
F
PVAM
90
TXSo
95
F
Colora
69
USC
65
F
Wash
63
AzSt
75
F
UTRGV
79
CSBak
74
F(OT)
UMKC
60
CBU
70
F
UtSt
63
SDSU
68
F
LongB
76
CAPoly
68
F(OT)
LoyMa
72
Portl
55
F
HI
56
UCIrv
67
F
SCla
72
USF
78
F
UCDav
61
UCSB
57
F
UtVal
Seatt
PPD

Feb 9, 2019, 6:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Texas A&M

21

47

68

Missouri

30

29

59

Texas A&M erases deficit, beats Missouri 68-59
Sat Feb 9, 2019 9:55 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) There wasn't much of a size difference between the biggest and smallest Texas A&M players on the court against Missouri on Saturday night, so Aggies coach Billy Kennedy changed his defensive strategy at halftime. The Aggies started switching screens at every position, and that helped them erase a 12-point, second-half deficit and beat the Tigers 68-59.

"We were forced to play small pretty much all night," Kennedy said. "We were switching ball screens, and that threw them off a little bit, especially their young guards, young perimeter guys. We were fortunate it gave them some problems."

Wendell Mitchell scored 20 points to help Texas A&M (9-13, 2-8 Southeastern Conference) end a six-game conference losing streak. Christian Mekowulu added 15 points and 10 rebounds, TJ Starks scored 15 and Savion Flagg finished with 12 points.

The Aggies were missing forwards Josh Nebo, who had posted double-doubles in points and rebounds in two of his last three games, and John Walker. Kennedy said Nebo has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee and Walker was ill.

Missouri (11-11, 2-8 SEC) was also shorthanded. The Tigers' second- and third-leading scorers did not play. Sophomore forward Jeremiah Tilmon missed the game because of lingering pain from emergency wisdom teeth removal on Wednesday. Sophomore guard Mark Smith missed his fifth straight game after spraining his ankle on Jan. 23.

Missouri opened a 37-25 lead when Torrence Watson made a 3-pointer with 17:39 left in the game.

"We've been down before," Mitchell said. "We just had to play a little harder and execute on defense, honestly. I felt like we came out and executed defensively."

The Tigers couldn't solve the switching defense, as their guards dribbled into traffic and committed nine second-half turnovers.

"If they're switching, let's get the ball inside to our bigs and make a play. . It just didn't happen," Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said.

Starks broke down Missouri's defense with drives to the basket. He found Flagg outside the 3-point arc in transition, and Flagg's shot gave Texas A&M the lead at 46-44 with 7:23 left. The Aggies pulled away with the help of 14-of-17 shooting from the foul line.

Javon Pickett led Missouri with 15 points, and Watson and Jordan Geist each scored 12.

"We let them get their head up out of the water, and they kept going," Watson said. "We gave them a chance. We should have put our foot down."

COMING UP SMALL

Missouri junior forward Reed Nikko made his first career start and gave a solid effort, with eight points and two blocked shots, but he fouled out after 19 minutes. Nobody else could fill the void inside. Kevin Puryear scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds. Mitchell Smith and K.J. Santos combined for zero points and one rebound. The Aggies outrebounded the Tigers 34-25.

Missouri's aimlessness on offense was illustrated by its lack of free throws. The Tigers attempted only four.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: This was the second time in SEC play that the Tigers squandered a double-digit second-half lead at home. On Jan. 26, Missouri led LSU by 14 points with just over two minutes left in regulation and lost in overtime.

Texas A&M: For just the fourth time this season, Starks wasn't in the starting lineup. He contributed little until the final seconds of the first half, when he hit a 3-pointer to cut the Aggies' deficit to 30-21. That seemed to give him a boost, as he scored nine points in the second half.

"TJ played well coming off the bench," Kennedy said. "He did a good job sharing the ball, and he did a good job on defense on Geist. Last time, Geist hurt us so much. Him and Chris Collins did a really good job guarding Geist."

UP NEXT

Missouri: The Tigers face Arkansas on Tuesday at home.

Texas A&M: The Aggies play host to Georgia on Tuesday.

---

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Texas A&M PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
W. Mitchell 20 0 1 6 0 0
T. Starks 15 0 3 1 2 0
Missouri PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Pickett 15 0 2 2 1 0
T. Watson 12 0 2 4 0 0

Team Comparison

TAMU Mizzu
Points For 68 59
Field Goals 24/49-49% 24/57-42%
Three Pointers 6/18-33% 8/27-30%
Free Throws 14/17-82% 3/4-75%
Offensive Rebounds 9 9
Defensive Rebounds 25 16
Rebounds 36 27
Blocks 2 2
Steals 7 7
Turnovers 16 13
Personal Fouls 11 16
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2018-19 Reg Season - Series Tied 1-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Jan 19 Mizzu 66 @ TAMU 43 J. Geist 17 J. Nebo 12
Sat Feb 9 TAMU 68 @ Mizzu 59 W. Mitchell 20 J. Pickett 15

Game Information

Stadium: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Missouri
Attendance: 11,171
Game Time: