Sports

Texas A&M Uses Balanced Attack To Thump Marshall 92-68

December 22, 2018 / 6:11 PM CST / CBS Texas

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — The holidays are a time for sharing - and Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy is loving what he's witnessing from his players on that front.

"I like to see it when we have five, almost six guys in double figures," Kennedy said. "That means we're sharing the ball, and we're harder to defend."

Christian Mekowulu and TJ Starks each scored 17 points and Josh Nebo added 16 as A&M defeated Marshall 92-68 on Saturday in Reed Arena. For good measure the Aggies also had Brandon Mahan scoring 12, Jay Jay Chandler adding 11 and John Walker chipping in nine.

"It's hard to guard us when you've got five players in double figures," Starks said. "You don't know who's going to score, or when they're going to score."

The Aggies (6-4) dominated the Thundering Herd (6-6) in rebounds (54-30), points in the paint (58-24) and bench points (44-14). Rondale Watson led the Thundering Herd with 19 points and C.J. Burks added 18, while A&M's Savion Flagg led all rebounders with a dozen.

Marshall led 27-24 with 6:47 remaining in the first half, before the Aggies heated up to close out the first 20 minutes. Starks, who came off the bench for the first time this season, sank a 3-pointer to tie the game at 27-27 with 6:23 to the break, and Mahan and Nebo took over from there.

Mahan scored A&M's next four points, and Nebo then collected three field goals — including two tip-ins and a dunk — in the final four minutes of the first half to lift the Aggies to a 41-33 lead at the break. It was all downhill from there for the Thundering Herd, who saw a two-game win streak snapped.

"A&M has won five straight and (Kennedy) does a great job, but this game was on us, not so much him," said Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni, whose younger brother, Mike D'Antoni, coaches the NBA's Houston Rockets about 100 miles from College Station.

Marshall backup forward Iran Bennett hurt his ankle in the first half in trying to defend an A&M drive to the basket, and Bennett sat out the second half with a walking boot on his right foot. D'Antoni said Bennett would be evaluated further on Sunday.

Marshall also takes off a few days for Christmas before playing at Virginia on New Year's Eve, in its last nonconference game before opening Conference USA play on Jan. 3 at Old Dominion.

A&M breaks for a few days for Christmas prior to playing host to Texas Southern on Dec. 29, in its final nonconference contest before beginning SEC play on Jan. 5 at home against Arkansas.