TAMPA, Fla. — Texas A&M came to Amalie Arena needing to play its way into the NCAA Tournament.
Three wins in three days — including Saturday’s 82-64 SEC tournament semifinal win over fourth-seeded Arkansas — should do the trick. The latest triumph sends the eighth-seeded Aggies to their second-ever SEC championship game and the first since an overtime loss to Kentucky in 2016. Texas A&M hasn’t won a conference tournament of any sort since claiming the Southwest Conference crown in 1987.
The Aggies started hot, as they have all week long. Texas A&M was 6 of 11 from 3-point range in the first half, continuing an uncharacteristic streak. The Aggies made 32.6% of their long-range attempts during the regular season and 6.8 per game. In wins over Florida and Auburn, the Aggies were a combined 17 of 33 from deep.
Texas A&M’s defense was also stingy early. The Aggies forced the Razorbacks into a pair of early air-balls and nine first-half turnovers to open up a 36-24 lead at the break.
Arkansas started a comeback four minutes into the second half with what looked like a pivotal sequence. Texas A&M missed a layup then was blocked by Stanley Umude. Davonte Davis’ three-point play cut the Aggies’ lead to five.
But Texas A&M answered immediately with a 6-0 run. The highlight: Hassan Diarra, who hit the game-winner against Florida on Thursday, poking the ball out to set up a breakaway dunk by Quenton Jackson, the hero of Friday’s upset of top-seeded Auburn.
After fading late against the Gators and making things too close for comfort against the Tigers, Texas A&M left nothing in doubt this time. Hayden Hefner, Jackson and Henry Coleman all threw down dunks to help the Aggies pull away for good.
“Really thankful for the response from our guys and the high level of work by our staff to be able to be in position to beat a top-15 team,” Aggies coach Buzz Williams said.
Jackson led the Aggies with 20 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals. Umude scored a team-high 20 points for Arkansas.
The loss gives a sour ending to Arkansas coach Eric Musselman’s time in Tampa. His late father, Bill, coached the Tampa Bay Thrillers to back-to-back titles as part of his four consecutive CBA championships in the 1980s. The younger Musselman still has many friends in Sarasota, where his dad once coached the CBA’s Stingers and lived. He joked that he could make the drive down there from Tampa blindfolded.
The game ended awkwardly, with Musselman yelling, presumably at the officials. The Razorbacks left the court without shaking hands.
Awesome, baby!
College basketball legend Dick Vitale received a standing ovation before Saturday’s semifinals in his first game back in three months. Vitale has been sidelined since December after doctors discovered precancerous dysplasia on his vocal cords. He has been resting his voice while recovering from surgery and undergoing treatment for lymphoma. He announced Tuesday that he is in remission.
The ESPN broadcaster and Lakewood Ranch resident met with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on the court as the crowd recognized him.
Wade out
LSU’s Will Wade became the third coach to be fired during the tournament. Wade’s Tigers lost to Arkansas, 79-67, in Friday’s quarterfinal.
Wade has been under NCAA scrutiny for years after being caught on a wiretap discussing a strong offer for a recruit. The Tigers recently received a notice of allegations from the NCAA, which Wade repeatedly declined to comment on while in Tampa. LSU is projected to be a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN.
Georgia’s Tom Crean and Missouri’s Cuonzo Martin also coached their final games with those teams in Tampa.
