Walker Kessler recorded a career-best 12 blocked shots and also contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds to help top-ranked Auburn roll to a 75-58 wire-to-wire victory over Texas A&M in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday in Auburn, Ala.
Allen Flanigan scored a game-high 16 points and K.D. Johnson added 11 as the Tigers (23-2, 11-1 SEC) won for the 20th time in the past 21 games. Auburn also rebounded from Tuesday’s 80-76 overtime road loss against Arkansas.
Kessler collected a rebound off a missed free throw with 3:45 remaining to become the fifth player in SEC history to record multiple triple-doubles. He also fell one short of the school record for blocks set by Kyle Davis against Miami on March 14, 2001.
Kessler blocked 11 shots against LSU earlier this season when he recorded his first triple-double.
Quenton Jackson scored 11 points for Texas A&M (15-10, 4-8), which lost its eighth consecutive contest immediately following an eight-game winning streak. Henry Coleman III recorded 10 points and 13 rebounds, Wade Taylor IV added 10 points and four steals and Tyrece Radford also had 10 points.
The Aggies shot a woeful 27.1 percent from the field, including 3 of 22 from 3-point range.
Devan Cambridge added 10 points for the Tigers, who made 39.7 percent of their shots and were a porous 3 of 25 from behind the arc.
Kessler had seven first-half blocks as Auburn led 33-18 at the break.
The Aggies were a woeful 17.9 percent from the field in the half, making just 7 of 39 shots overall and missing all 10 3-point attempts. It was the second consecutive first half in which Texas A&M scored fewer than 20 points — the Aggies had 16 in Tuesday’s 76-68 loss to LSU.
The Tigers led 10-9 just prior to the midway point of the half before erupting for 13 straight points.
A three-point play by Dylan Cardwell increased the advantage to 28-11 with 3:27 remaining in the half.
Auburn’s lead grew to 42-20 on two free throws by Flanigan with 16:36 left in the game.
The margin was again 22 after Cambridge slammed home a ferocious dunk to make it 52-30 with 12:10 remaining.
Jaylin Williams buried a 3-pointer to push the lead to 60-35 with 10 minutes left and the Tigers finished off an impressive victory.
–Field Level Media
