Mizzou basketball cruises to dominant win over Texas A&M as Tilmon impresses again
There were no worries of rust for the Missouri men’s basketball team after a layoff. There was some sloppiness early, but the Tigers dismantled Texas A&M 68-52 on Saturday at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas.
No. 17-ranked Mizzou (8-2, 2-2 SEC) was down by as many as seven points in the first half. But the Tigers stormed out in front, using a 10-0 run right before halftime as the Aggies (7-5, 2-4) missed 11 straight shots. It was all Mizzou from there, the lead swelling to as many as 18 points. The Tigers followed up a 27-point first half with 41 in the second half, looking much more comfortable offensively.
“That’s who we are,” MU coach Cuonzo Martin said. “We’re a team that shares the ball. We play together. Doesn’t matter who leads us in scoring. They really enjoy playing with each other, being around each other.”
MU had three players in double figures, led by guard Dru Smith, who put up a solid day with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Mizzou forward Jeremiah Tilmon continued his spirited play, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. He’s shed his foul trouble problems and given Mizzou a massive boost inside. Guard Javon Pickett had 12 points.
Missouri played a game for the first time since Jan. 5 because of a COVID-19 pause. The Tigers had two home games, against LSU and Vanderbilt, postponed because of virus complications.
That meant some potential for some ugliness, which wasn’t helped by the Aggies’ play style. Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams, in his second season, hangs his hat on defense — much like Martin.
That led to a sluggish first half where open shots were a rarity while turnovers were plentiful. Once Mizzou got out to a lead, it didn’t allow Texas A&M to come back. When things unraveled for the Tigers at Mississippi State — a 14-point lead disappearing in minutes — they couldn’t slow down the Bulldogs.
The Aggies had some spurts to cut the lead into something manageable. But the Tigers hit shot after shot whenever the Aggies looked like they were about to grab momentum.
“Our strength is getting to the paint,” Martin said. “We show them on film how teams defend Jeremiah. Jeremiah might not get the ball, but there’s two guys hovering around him. You got lanes to drive the ball.”
Texas A&M was led by guard Andre Gordon, who scored 19 points.
The Tigers return home to host South Carolina at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Mizzou Arena. It’s their first home game since the SEC opener on Dec. 30 against Tennessee.
This story was originally published January 16, 2021 at 2:13 PM.