NCAAB Game Recap - Troy at Texas A&M
Wed Nov 20, 2019 8:00 PM EST

USC-Up
50
Lou
76
F
Elon
61
UNC
75
F
ArkLR
58
Mem
68
F
ASU
41
Tenn
76
F
(N/A)
45
Mia-O
80
F
Chat
53
FSU
89
F
Bingha
77
NJIT
75
F
Sien
89
Yale
100
F(3OT)
Urba
51
WriSt
88
F
(N/A)
20
VMI
96
F
DelSt
64
VaTec
100
F
Merrim
81
StPet
77
F(OT)
Colum
63
StJon
82
F
SFA
57
Rut
69
F
JMU
80
ODU
78
F
Rider
72
UMass
82
F
Princ
54
Ind
79
F
GaTec
78
UGA
82
F
Bry
74
Drex
86
F
E WA
68
BC
72
F
NoKY
59
Ball
57
F
Belm
73
Lipsco
67
F
FAU
70
FlGlf
72
F(OT)
Corn
53
Syr
72
F
(N/A)
58
SHSU
88
F
SeLA
66
Tuls
73
F
(N/A)
56
NoAZ
93
F
APSU
72
Vand
90
F
Troy
52
TAMU
56
F
HiPt
55
StLou
67
F
(N/A)
66
NrthIA
88
F
MorSt
52
Mizzu
70
F
IUPUI
62
LoyIL
85
F
MtStM
51
UAB
58
F
(N/A)
66
ChiSt
79
F
Sac
61
UCDav
51
F
NIU
86
W IL
81
F
ArkSt
80
ColSt
78
F
Citad
57
Ill
85
F
Gram
76
SJSU
83
F
UCSB
67
OrSt
78
F
TxSt
64
UNLV
57
F
BYU
68
Bois
72
F(OT)
Portl
82
PorSt
75
F
SDSU
66
USD
49
F
StMar
68
Fres
58
F

Texas A&M 56, Troy 52

Nov 20, 2019, 8:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Troy

25

27

52

Texas A&M

17

39

56

Texas A&M edges Troy 56-52
Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:30 PM

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) High school was the last time Texas A&M senior guard Mark French could remember a crowd chanting his name, he said.

Wednesday, at the end of A&M's 56-52 win over Troy, the Aggie student section in Reed Arena was chanting "M-V-P" as French handled the ball.

The 5-foot-8 walk-on scored a career-high 12 points, all in the second half, including a game-tying 3-pointer and an assist on the final-go ahead basket.

French said he learned he would be starting five minutes before the game.

"He's (head coach Buzz Williams) kind of vague with it," French said of the starting lineup. "Whoever's turn it is, you have to go be productive and that's what I tried to do."

Josh Nebo led the Aggies (3-1) with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Troy's Darian Adams led all scorers with a career-high 20 points, trying to fill a void left with the extended absence of Trojans leading scorer Say Williams. The sophomore forward left the game midway through the first half with a dislocated kneecap but returned to the game early in the second half. Williams finished the game with two points.

"They said he could come back if he wanted to," Troy head coach Scott Cross said. "We tried it. They said he definitely wasn't going to be moving as fast. He definitely wasn't the same after that injury."

The Trojans (1-4) closed out the first half on a 6-0 run to lead 25-17. During the stretch, the Aggies shot 1-for-9 from the field. Williams kept his players on the baseline during the intermission, meeting in a huddle instead of in the locker room.

Williams said the decision to forego the locker room was not to embarrass his players, but to be efficient with the time they are given for halftime adjustments.

"I have so much to say that sometimes the content is overwhelming to them," Williams said. "It always feels rushed, because of the clock."

A&M finished the night shooting 32.1% from the field and 17.9% from behind the arc, hoisting up a season-high 28 3-point attempts. Troy shot 31.8% from the field and 23.3 from 3-point range, going 7-for-30.

All 12 of French's 12 points came in the second half, including his first points of the season in over 30 minutes of total floor time.

"There's no way that I think that anyone could ever question the intent of French's heart, and whoever hires French seven months from now, (French will) end up running that company," Williams said.

BIG PICTURE

Troy: The loss gives the Trojans their third loss of the season of less than 10 points.

Texas A&M: The Aggies weathered the storm of a game without point guards T.J. Starks (suspended) and Andre Gordon (injured) thanks to the effort of French.

INJURIES

Freshman guard Andre Gordon, the Aggies' third-leading scorer, began experiencing pain in his foot during practice on Monday prompting an X-ray to be taken, Williams said. Wednesday, he was in street clothes wearing a boot. "From what I know, it's not good," Williams said.

HE SAID IT

"I want him to win every game. His team was much better than we were. Better execution. A much better flow, a much more distinct style of play." - Buzz Williams on his former player at UT Arlington, Scott Cross

UP NEXT

Troy is on the road at Samford on Saturday.

Texas A&M travels for the first time this season to face Harvard in the Orlando Invitational on Thanksgiving.

---

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

Leaders

Troy PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. Adams 20 0 1 4 1 0
C. Norman 9 0 0 2 0 0
Texas A&M PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Nebo 14 0 0 12 0 5
M. French 12 0 1 5 1 0

Team Comparison

Troy TAMU
Points For 52 56
Field Goals 21/66-32% 17/53-32%
Three Pointers 7/30-23% 5/28-18%
Free Throws 3/9-33% 17/23-74%
Offensive Rebounds 14 9
Defensive Rebounds 31 35
Rebounds 51 48
Blocks 2 8
Steals 6 4
Turnovers 15 15
Personal Fouls 19 16
Technical Fouls 1 1
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - TAMU Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Wed Nov 20 Troy 52 @ TAMU 56 D. Adams 20 J. Nebo 14

Game Information

Stadium: Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
Attendance: 5,271
Game Time: