Missouri 62, Texas A&M 50: Alex Oriakhi led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points as the sixth-seeded Tigers won their first SEC tournament game, routing the 11th-seeded Aggies in Nashville, Tenn.
Missouri (23-9) advances to take on No. 3 Mississippi in Friday's quarterfinals. The Tigers also received 10 points apiece from Laurence Bowers, Jabari Brown and Tony Criswell.
Texas A&M (18-15) had a horrible shooting night, hitting 24.1 percent, including 5-of-16 from 3-point range. Fabyon Harris led the Aggies with 15 points, including four 3-pointers, but was the only Texas A&M player to score in double figures.
The Aggies' struggles began in the first half, when they shot 23.1 percent in falling behind 28-19. By the midway point of the second half, the team's shooting percentage was down to 18.6 as Missouri built a 19-point lead and cruised from there.
The Tigers, ranked No. 2 in the country in rebounding, dominated the battle of the backboards 46-31. Oriakhi and Earnest Ross each had a team-high 10 rebounds.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Texas A&M's leading scorer Elston Turner shot 3-of-17, including 1-of-7 from 3-point range, to finish with seven points, all in the first half. … The Aggies finished with four assists on their 14 field goals. … The Tigers came into the game averaging 13 turnovers but were forced into 19 miscues by the Aggies.
Texas A&M | Missouri | |
Fabyon Harris 15 | Scoring | Alex Oriakhi 13 |
Jordan Green 1 | Assists | Phil Pressey 5 |
Kourtney Roberson 6 | Rebounds | Alex Oriakhi 10 |
Andrew Young 5 | Free Throws Made | Jabari Brown 5 |
Fabyon Harris 3 | Steals | Keion Bell 1 |
Andrew Young 1 | Blocks | Laurence Bowers 1 |