By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Midway through the second half Tuesday night, Northern Kentucky University owned a one-point lead against No. 8 Texas A&M and the Aggie faithful in Reed Arena were dreading a major upset.
Jordan Garnett had just drained a 3-pointer to give NKU a 42-41 advantage with 9:15 remaining in the game. To make matters even worse for the home crowd of 6,595, Texas A&M had scored just 12 points the entire second half and appeared stunned by Garnett’s trey.
Instead of buckling, though, Texas A&M fought back and regained the lead, and the Aggies held off a late NKU rally to pull out a 64-58 win over the stubborn Norse.
“We were in great position to beat one of the top 10 teams in the nation on their home floor,” NKU head coach John Brannen said. “The effort was there, but we need guys to step up and finish games. We have to make shots.”
“They are the tallest team in the nation, and it’s hard to finish against them,” Brannen said. “We struggle against length, but Texas A&M is exceptionally tall and they make scoring inside very tough.”
The Aggies eventually built a 59-52 lead with under a minute left on the clock, but 3-pointers by Garnett and Lavone Holland II brought NKU to within 61-58 with 19.8 seconds remaining. The Norse then fouled Duane Wilson, who made one of two free throws to push the Texas A&M lead to 62-58.
Holland attempted to dribble through the Aggie defense on the ensuing possession and lost control of the ball, resulting in an NKU turnover. J.J. Caldwell then converted a pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds left on the clock, sealing the win for Texas A&M.
Wilson led Texas A&M with 16 points, while 6-foot-10 Tyler Davis added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Davis also blocked three shots, while 6-10 Tonny Trocha-Morelos finished with nine points and two blocks. The Aggies entered the game ranked third nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.359) and second in 3-point defense (.244).
NKU missed 14 of its 15 attempts from 3-point range in the first half, but Texas A&M managed only a 29-23 lead at the break. Both teams struggled to convert open looks during the first half, but Texas A&M’s ability to hit the offensive boards kept it in the lead.
“We could not keep them off the offensive glass,” Brannen said, noting Texas A&M’s 18-4 advantage in second-chance points for the game. “That, our transition defense in spots, and our inability to make open jump shots cost us. Texas A&M has a great team, and you have to knock down open shots. We didn’t do that, especially in the first half.”
Drew McDonald led NKU (7-5) with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Garnett added 15 points. It marked the 20th career double-double for McDonald. Holland finished with 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
NKU finished 7-for-28 from beyond the arc, and the Norse made 36.5 percent of their shots from the field. Texas A&M shot 37.1 percent from the field, and the Aggies were only 2-for-20 from 3-point range.
NKU returns home to begin Horizon League play on Dec. 28, when IUPUI visits BB&T Arena at 7:30 p.m.
KING NETS 29 IN TMC VICTORY: Damion King scored 29 points Tuesday night to lead the Thomas More College men’s basketball team to an 83-70 win over Franklin (Ind.) in the Connor Convocation Center.
King shot 6-for-9 from 3-point range and added four steals as Thomas More rallied from an early 11-point deficit and improved to 7-3. Ralph Stone added 11 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds for the Saints, who made 50.8 percent of their shots from the field. Thomas More’s Brandon Horne scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and collected three steals.
Jordan Anderson led Franklin (2-8) with 16 points. The Grizzlies shot 54.2 percent from the field but committed 16 turnovers, while Thomas More turned the ball over just seven times. Thomas More also finished with a 31-23 advantage in rebounds.
TMC’S TEMPLE NETS 1,000TH CAREER POINT: Thomas More College women’s basketball player Madison Temple scored her 1,000th career point Tuesday night as the Saints posted a 76-56 victory against Willamette University in the Hoop N’ Surf Classic in Honolulu.
Nikki Kiernan added 14 points for Thomas More, which is ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Division III poll. Abby Owings chipped in 10 points for the Saints, while teammate Emily Schultz hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds.
Thomas More will wrap up the Hoop N’ Surf Classic Wednesday at 6 p.m. with a showdown against Christopher Newport University, which is unbeaten (8-0) ranked No. 2 nationally in the NCAA Division III poll.
NKU WOMEN LOSE AT UNF: North Florida used a 20-6 run in the second half to turn a 34-31 deficit into a 51-40 lead, and the Ospreys held on to defeat visiting NKU, 58-50, at the UNF Holiday Classic in Jacksonville, Fla.
North Florida’s Ari Emanuel-Wright capped the big spurt by burying a 3-pointer with 7:11 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Ospreys a 51-40 advantage.
Emanuel-Wright finished with 19 points, while teammate Keonna Farmer netted a game-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. North Florida (6-6) shot 40 percent from the field and won despite being outrebounded by a 38-26 margin.
Freshman guard Samari Mowbray scored 12 points to lead NKU, which committed 27 turnovers that led to 23 North Florida points. Molly Glick and Kailey Coffey each scored 10 points for the Norse, who shot 38 percent from the field.
NKU (1-8) concludes the two-day event Wednesday at noon against Jacksonville (8-4) at the UNF Arena.
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com