After putting up back-to-back 100-point games against Manhattan and Mississippi Valley State at Reed Arena, Texas A&M men’s basketball braced itself for a neutral-court test against Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Florida State at the GEICO Battle in the Bay at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
At least, it seemed like it would be a test.
But after KenPom projected a one-point Seminole victory, the Aggies demolished their foes 95-67, picking up their first win over a high-major opponent of coach Bucky McMillan’s tenure.
The Aggies’ game started off on a very different note than their first two games against power conference opposition — a road loss to Oklahoma State and a home loss to UCF — as the Aggies got out to a 19-3 lead to open the game.
The Maroon and White were paced early on by sophomore guard Rubén Dominguez, who knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during that stretch. The Spaniard ended the first half with 15 points while shooting 5-of-6 from deep.
Dominguez didn’t slow down in the second half. After setting the A&M program record for most 3-pointers against Manhattan with 10, the shooter, that’s quickly been dubbed “Fuego” during his time in Aggieland for his deep-threat ability, nailed seven treys in the Sunshine State.
Coming off of a 120-point effort against Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, A&M did not let its foot off of the gas against Florida State. The Aggies ended the first half up 52-47, while shooting 50% from beyond the 3-point line.
Graduate student forward Rashaun Agee added 10 points of his own in the first half, the only other Aggie in double figures at the halftime break. The USC transfer also grabbed 9 first-half boards.
Along with Dominguez, Agee didn’t let off the gas in the second half. The Aggies’ captain ended the night with 17 points and led all rebounders with 17 boards, good for a double-double.
In the second half, the Seminoles did manage a slight rally, largely led by senior G Kobe MaGee. After being held to just three points in the first half, MaGee flipped a switch in the second period, breaking out for a total of 21 points, enough to lead all scorers along with Dominguez.
The Aggies’ first-half advantage was too much to overcome for the Seminoles. An 11-0 scoring run — kickstarted by a MaGee layup and 3-pointer — cut the Maroon and White lead down to just 17, before they corrected course and pulled away for a 36-point margin of victory.
Defensively, A&M was able to completely neutralize a Florida State offense that was averaging 93.2 points per game coming into the neutral-site showdown, holding them to their lowest scoring total of the season by 17 points.
The Aggies’ Bucky Ball signature full-court press gave the Seminoles fits, leading to 13 steals, 16 Florida State turnovers and 21 A&M points off turnovers.
Led by Agee, the Maroon and White out-rebounded the garnet-garbed squad 60-40, dominating the boards as well as they handled every other facet of the game.
Next, A&M sets its sights on another two ACC foes. First, the Aggies make the trip north to face Pittsburgh in the ACC-SEC Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. before facing SMU in another neutral-site battle in Arlington on Dec. 7.
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