COLUMBIA, South Carolina — The Texas A&M Aggies beat the South Carolina Gamecocks 94-53 in a SEC men’s basketball game on Saturday, January 14. Read more: Vanderbilt upsets No. 15 Arkansas 97-84 in SEC result | Box Score | Watch Live
Wade Taylor IV scored 20 points — canning four 3-pointers — and Texas A&M stayed perfect in the Southeastern Conference on Saturday with a 94-53 onslaught of host South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. From the outset, the Aggies (12-5, 4-0 SEC) used their pressure defense and rebounding strength to dominate and lead by 32 at halftime.
Taylor, who added five rebounds and three assists, was 8-of-10 shooting, including 4 of 6 from distance. Julius Marble scored 14 points and Dexter Dennis 13. Henry Coleman III had 12 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Khalen Robinson scored 12. Coach Buzz Williams’ Aggies ascended to second in the SEC, one-half game behind No. 4 Alabama — the only two unbeaten teams in conference play.
The victory marked the Aggies’ second consecutive 4-0 start in the SEC. They broke a six-game losing streak against South Carolina that dated to the 2017-18 season. Texas A&M won the rebound battle 48-16 and had a 27-7 advantage in second-chance points.
After shocking Kentucky on Tuesday, the Gamecocks (8-9, 1-3) were outclassed from the start. Zachary Davis had 13 points and Meechie Johnson totaled 11.
South Carolina played without third-leading scorer Hayden Brown (thigh bruise). On a roll with six straight wins since being upset by Wofford on Dec. 20, the Aggies held a 12-5 edge on the scoreboard at the first media timeout.
The team’s leading points producer at 15.3 per game, Taylor keyed an 11-0 run with seven points as his squad grabbed a 23-5 lead at 12:48 on his jumper. In an overwhelming display of offense and defense, the Aggies led by 35 — 50-15 at 1:10 — and owned the paint.
They had four 9-0 runs in the first half and topped South Carolina 50-18 at the break. The visitors outrebounded South Carolina 27-8 in the first 20 minutes — grabbing more offensive boards (10) than the home side had total rebounds.
They shot 18 of 35 (51.4 percent) from the field while the Gamecocks struggled to make 7 of 24 (29.2 percent). –Field Level Media
