Here are three takeaways from Texas A&M’s 76-59 loss against Penn State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament:
—Stalling out
The Aggies started off their matchup with a solid showing from forward Julius Marble as he quickly tallied six points. However, A&M stalled out by the middle of the first half with more than five minutes without a score. The maroon and white had several chances to make baskets as they recorded seven offensive rebounds by halftime. Shots just weren’t falling in the paint and from beyond the arc as turnovers, fouls and a lack of offensive identity kept the Aggies at bay with a season low in points going into the halftime break.
As the second half began, things remained the same for the Aggies and their hopes of a long postseason run came to a roaring stop. A&M finished the game going 20-for-59 from the field and an eye-widening 10-for-34 in 3-pointers. The team that won 17 SEC games was nowhere to be seen and the Aggies will head back to College Station as their dream is cut short.
—Open season
In contrast to the majority of the season, A&M’s defense was almost nonexistent during the first half while Penn State went 13-for-24 from the field and 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. The Aggies simply allowed way too many open shots, especially from the Nittany Lions’ Jalen Pickett and Andrew Funk who combined for 24 points in the first half. Momentum was clearly on Penn State’s side as they headed into the locker room with a comfortable 16-point lead.
There was little to no improvement as the second period began. Penn State still managed to knock down buckets easily and the amount of uncontested three-point shots were overwhelming. The Aggies just couldn’t muster up a strong enough defense and ultimately were run over as the Nittany Lions secured the win.
—Back to the Lone Star State
With the loss, the Aggies exit out of the opening round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987. A&M finishes its campaign with a 25-10 record while going 15-3 in conference play and recording its best SEC finish since 2016. Now that the season is over, the offseason will begin and the team’s focus will shift toward next year and the recruiting trail.
