Texas A&M Aggies at Cal State Northridge Matadors

Hogg leads Texas A&M over CS Northridge in Wooden Legacy

The Aggies (3-1) used a 27-4 run over the final 7:31 of the first half to separate from the Matadors (2-3), holding CSUN without a field goal for the final 9:12 and off the scoreboard entirely for the final 4:28.

"We made open shots and the floodgates opened," Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said.

Hogg provided the offense early on for Texas A&M, scoring 10 of the team's first 14 points, but things got stagnant after he picked up his second foul with 15:11 remaining and sat for the rest of the half. It wasn't until Gilder and Tyler Davis got going, combining for 18 points and eight assists in the half, that Texas A&M found its footing.

Micheal Warren had 19 points and Tavrion Dawson added 14 for CSUN, which has now dropped its three games against Power 5 opposition by an average of 21.3 points.

"It's been a problem for us, keeping our bigs on the floor, and early foul trouble really got us going in the wrong direction," Matadors coach Reggie Theus said.

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M: The Aggies found their offensive balance. Texas A&M only had three scorers in double figures and was 6 of 23 from 3-point range in its loss to Southern California last week, but had seven players with at least eight points on Thursday as the shot selection and ball distribution was much improved. With a young lineup starting three sophomore and Williams coming off the bench, spreading out production will be key during the ups and downs of SEC play.

Cal State Northridge: The Matadors will be battle-tested for their Big West schedule. There is no shame in losing to a team picked to finish third in the SEC, and that 15-point loss at Pauley Pavilion to No. 14 UCLA should look pretty good come next spring. With a roster heavy on upperclassmen, nothing they see in conference play or the Big West tournament should rattle CSUN.

SURPRISE SPARK

Texas A&M switched to a zone defense in the first half after using it sparingly in its first three games. And it proved to be key in allowing the Aggies to cope with Hogg's absence. The combination of the Aggies' length, CSUN's foul trouble down low and the shock factor led to 13 turnovers and a 32.1 shooting percentage in the first half for the Matadors.

"I don't know how much they prepared for it because we haven't played it a whole lot, so I think the surprise element helped us more than anything," Kennedy said. "Tomorrow I don't know if it will be as efficient."

Texas A&M scored a first-half tournament record 53 points.

FRESHMAN WILLIAMS IMPROVING

Texas A&M forward Robert Williams had 11 points and seven rebounds, matching his highs in his brief college career, but Kennedy sees the former top-100 recruit as a major contributor moving forward.

"We just got to go get him a little more tuned-in sometimes," Kennedy said. "He's young but he is really talented, and he's a big piece for us offensively and defensively."

Williams was a force around the rim at both ends of the court, blocking four shots and showing a soft shooting touch.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M is only assured of one more nonconference game against Power 5 opposition, a December 17th home game against No. 8 Arizona. The Aggies will hope to draw Virginia Tech for Friday's second-round game and get a showcase against the Bruins in the championship game Sunday.

Cal State Northridge will face the loser of the Hokies-New Mexico game on Friday, and the Matadors will gladly take a drained, beatable opponent after dropping three of four.

How can I watch Texas A&M vs. Cal State Northridge?

• TV Channel: Texas A&M at Cal State Northridge 2021 College Basketball, week 3, is broadcasted on ESPN3.
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