Texas A&M (8-2) has won four consecutive games after defeating Texas Tech 72-67 in the US LBM Coaches Coast-to-Coast game that was neck and neck for most of the second half. Behind senior guard Wade Taylor IV’s 19 points, the play of fellow senior guard Jace Carter kept the Aggies afloat offensively with 16 points and three 3-pointers.
While the winning streak is impressive, the Aggies have defeated Ohio State, Creighton, Wake Forest, and Texas Tech. All four victories will result in Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins come NCAA Tournament time. However, the Aggies still have issues scoring at a consistent clip, and if it wasn’t for senior guard Zhuric Phelps’ clutch 3-pointer, who knows how the game would have ended.
Still, A&M’s defense is elite and has suffocated opponents down the stretch, making up for any offensive issues that aren’t mended by late-game efficiency, as we say from Wade Taylor and junior forward Solomon Washington in the final minutes.
Looking like one of the best teams in the SEC, the Aggies will now travel to Indiana to face No. 6 Purdue on Saturday afternoon.
After the game, here is everything head coach Buzz Williams, along with Zhuric Phelps and Jace Carter, had to say.
Zhuric Phelps on the win
“It was a big environment. We enjoyed it and got the win.”
Jace Carter on Zhuric Phelp’s lead-taking 3-pointer and the immediate flagrant foul
“It was a big part of the game. I’m glad Zhu made the three. It gave us a momentum swing. We did a good job of taking advantage of it. That elbow almost killed me.”
Carter on A&M’s suffocating defense
“We feel like our defense is one of the best in the country. To be able to hold them to just 67 points was huge.”
Phelps on the team’s tendency to play close games this season
“We can’t even count on our fingers how many close games we’ve had. Having that experience is huge for us. Being ourselves got us that win.”
Carter on the Aggies’ veteran roster being an advantage
“Being one of the oldest teams in the country, we’re built to get that win. That’s why we schedule the way we do in December. Buzz calms us down and we’re ready for the moment.”
Carter on Texas A&M’s mindset every game
“This is why you play college basketball. The type of people we have, when it gets to crunch time we love it. That’s why we’re at Texas A&M. We love it.”
Zhuric Phelps on the Aggie’s season-low nine turnovers
In practice, we always preach taking care of the ball. Eventually, it will come to fruition. We value every rep in practice and it allows us to minimize turnovers.”
Buzz Williams on Wade Taylor IV’s clutch shooting in the second half
“I’ll never take credit for how good of a player Wade is. I thought “Four” was consistent. The way he’s led since Thanksgiving has been as good as I’ve seen in a long time.”
Williams praises Texas Tech’s resiliance
I thought it felt like a road game, but it won’t count as one. That’s a really well-coached team on both sides of the ball. Our low turnover rate really mattered. Jace’s response to coming off the bench was tremendous.”
Williams on how the selection committee will view the Aggies early season success
“When it all unfolds, I feel really good about how many Quad I and Quad II games we’ll have on our resume. Playing five neutral sites in two and a half weeks might be going overboard, but I hope that math will work for us.”
Williams on Texas A&M’s shut down defense
“A lot of it has to do with the maturity of our group. The decisions that were made over the last six to eight minutes kept it yucky, which was positive for us because we finished with defensive rebounds.”
Williams on Jace Carter’s improvement this season
“Jace is spending more time in the gym than maybe everyone else combined. His toughness, fight, and care are off the charts. I was telling him how happy I was for him in the game. His response to coming off the bench made him so good.”
Winning like this in December is new for Buzz and Co.
“I’ve never had this many quality games early in the season. The audacity to do it is one thing, but the grind to do it game after game is tough. There’s no escape valve. Every timeout is close. Every call and possession seems enormous.”
Elko on the Aggies’ solid resume so far
“It’s healthy and it forces you to grow up. You have no option but to be mature. We also have more to play for. We’ve played 10 games and seven of those are against Power Five teams.”
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything HC Buzz Williams and two Aggies said after Texas A&M’s 72-67 win over Texas Tech
