No. 12 Texas A&M looks to continue the solid play that’s produced its best basketball of the season as it hosts Houston Christian in its final pre-Christmas game on Friday afternoon in College Station, Texas.
The Aggies (9-2) are riding high, having captured five straight games — all against Power Five teams. A&M’s most recent win was a 70-66 decision over No. 11 Purdue on Saturday in the Indy Classic in Indianapolis as Pharrel Payne and Zhuric Phelps racked up 16 points each.
It was the Aggies’ third win over a Top 25 team this season and their highest ranked nonconference victory since beating 19th-ranked North Carolina in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. It will be a resume booster for A&M when the NCAA Tournament selections and seedings are determined come March, joining wins over Ohio State and Wake Forest at home and at neutral sites against Creighton, Rutgers and Texas Tech.
Six of Texas A&M’s 11 games have been tied at the last media timeout, illustrating the Aggies’ grittiness in the stretch.
“Our guys have become more and more comfortable playing in tight ball games with four minutes left,” Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “It has been a one-possession game in three other games at the last media timeout. You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. None of it is catching us off-guard.”
Williams credited his staff and players for preparing for the rigors that come with a close game in the final minutes.
“Our schedule has forced us to have a rapid rate of growth,” Williams said. “There is no margin. It is going to be a one-possession game, if you are even in the game at all. It forces you to be mature in how you handle it. The physicality of these games forces you to be consistent in the weight room and training room.”
Phelps, second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game, said A&M is growing in confidence as it makes the shots and plays to win close games.
“There is a confidence we have in each other just to shoot the ball,” Phelps said. “If you are open, you are going to shoot it.”
Houston Christian (4-7) heads to the Brazos Valley with wins in two of its past three games, including a 74-68 victory at Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday. The Huskies got a career-high 32-point effort from senior guard Julian Mackey in the win, their first on the road this season.
Houston Christian prevailed by scoring the game’s final seven points and pouring in a season-best 11 3-pointers. Mackey leads the Huskies at 15.3 points per game in 25 minutes per contest.
The teams have played twice previously, with the Aggies winning both, including a 79-52 victory last season in College Station.
Friday’s contest is the second of a three-games-in-six-days stretch for the Huskies, who will head to Denton for a battle against North Texas on Sunday afternoon.
–Field Level Media
