Texas A&M goes for the season sweep of host Ole Miss on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference game between two teams looking to build some late-season momentum in Oxford, Miss.
Texas A&M (17-11, 6-9 SEC) is coming off a 91-77 win over visiting Georgia on Tuesday behind Quenton Jackson’s career-high-tying 31 points on a near-perfect shooting performance. Ole Miss (13-15, 4-11) suffered a 77-64 loss at No. 3 Auburn on Wednesday, its 10th defeat in its past 14 games.
Jackson was 11 of 11 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and made 6 of 7 shots from the free-throw line while adding four assists and six steals. Henry Coleman III scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field, while Manny Obaseki, Hassan Diarra and Tyrece Radford had 10 points apiece.
“I thought our effort, our tenacity, our intensity, our competitive spirit, our connectedness from start to finish was the best it has been all year long,” Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “I think that was the difference in the game. I don’t think it was the plays. I don’t think it was them being in a zone or man (defense).”
Jackson averages a team-high 14.1 points per game for the Aggies, while Coleman averages a team-high 6.0 rebounds to go along with 10.4 points per game. Radford averages 9.7 points, while no other Aggie averages more than Wade Taylor IV’s 8.1 points per game.
The Aggies, who have won two of their past three games following an eight-game losing streak, defeated the visiting Rebels 67-51 on Jan. 11 behind a game-high 18 points from Coleman and 12 from Radford.
Matthew Murrell and Daeshun Ruffin had 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Rebels in that meeting. Ruffin, however, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a win against LSU on Feb. 1, and Ole Miss has lost five of its past six games in his absence.
Murrell’s status for Saturday is uncertain. He’s in concussion protocol after leaving Wednesday’s game with 2:10 left in the first half after taking an elbow to the head.
Ole Miss cut a 12-point deficit to as few as three in the second half against Auburn, but the Tigers pulled away down the stretch.
Jarkel Joiner, who averages a team-high 14.5 points per game, scored 13 against Auburn, while Luis Rodriguez had 12 points and six rebounds. Nysier Brooks, who averages a team-high 7.7 rebounds to go along with 9.8 points per game, chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
“We got Auburn’s best tonight, but I thought we were right there,” Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis said. “If we make a few timely shots, I think it’s a one- or two-possession game late.”
–Field Level Media
