Everything Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan said after first round victory
Texas A&M came away with a 63-50 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Aggies emphasized the mental side of the game.
The Texas A&M Aggies stole the show in the first March Madness game of the Bucky McMillan era, beating St. Mary’s 63-50 in a dominant defensive performance. Heading into the matchup, analysts around the nation were excited to watch the game due to how differently the two sides played.
The Aggies have a quick pace on offense, start a 6’7 center, and lean into runs and momentum. The Gaels have four seven-footers, slow the game down, and crash the boards hard. It was a stylistic battle between Bucky Ball and a St.
Mary’s side that eerily resembled a hypothetical Buzz Williams-led team. The Aggies dominated from start to finish, pulling ahead to a 9-0 lead before the first media timeout. St.
Mary's would make it a close game at various points in the first half, cutting the lead to two with 11 minutes left in the first and to one with 6 minutes to go, but Texas A&M went on a 14-2 run and never looked back. St. Mary’s center rotation, starter Harry Wessels and star Andrew McKeever, had a combined 0 points, while Aggie captain center Rashaun Agee had 22 points and as many rebounds as both Gael centers combined.