FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas point guard Jalen Tate chose a good way to recover from a bad night, scoring 22 points and getting seven rebounds as the team’s record in the 87-80 victory of the Razorbacks over Texas A&M in 12th place on Saturday.
Tate fought the South Carolina zone on Tuesday, often playing as the entry man near the free-throw line, where he had defenders grabbing the ball in front and behind him. He made 1 of 5 2-point shots with 1 assist, 1 rebound and 3 hits in Columbia, SC
The 6- to 6-degree transfer played more at the top against the Texas A&M zone and did a good job of penetrating for medium-range jumpers and kicking for the kite. Tate shot 9 of 17 from the field, made his two free throws, had 4 assists and 1 return in 37 minutes.
“I still have to work when I’m not having the nights I want, honestly, and finding ways to help my teammates in other ways,” said Tate. “I was focused on being on the glass a little bit if I couldn’t score, or just affecting the game in any way I could and finding it in the way I could.”
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Tate had a +13 in the plus-minus rankings and was second in the team behind Moses Moody +15.
“He did a great job,” said coach Eric Musselman. “I mean, defensive rebounds were an area where I didn’t think we were good enough tonight, and he went out and … made six defensive rebounds, which was great for us.”
Musselman did not measure words when evaluating Tate’s game in South Carolina.
“I don’t think he played very well,” he said. “I thought it was one of your worst games, actually.”
Tate hit a mid-range jumper to give Arkansas his first advantage of the second half with 11:52 remaining and threw the winning ball, in addition to huffing at an unchallenged tray.
“The most important thing for me with Tate tonight was that he played 36 minutes and 44 seconds and had a turnaround and led us in defensive rebounds,” said Musselman. “So you add the fact that he had 4 assists and 22 points, he was phenomenal.”
Comebacks
Arkansas won for the fourth time, losing more than 10 points at home this season after similar twists and turns against the University of Central Arkansas, Auburn and LSU.
The Aggies’ hot kick created a score similar to that of 35-21 football in the middle of the first half.
“Do we have areas where we need to improve? Yes,” said coach Eric Musselman. “But we are losing 4-1 at halftime at home, so we did a good job coming out of the second half. And winning the last two minutes of the game when we are lost is important to move on.”
Williams out
Arkansas freshman Jaylin Williams lost his second game in a row for an undisclosed reason.
Williams has become a fundamental part of the rotation in the SEC game. In his absence, striker Justin Smith played 40 minutes.
Aggie three
Texas A&M made 7 out of 15 three-point shots in the first half, more than the Aggies had made 11 out of 16 previous games.
Texas A&M finished 10 out of 23 (43.5%) with three points, the third highest total of the year, behind his 12 trios against New Orleans at the opening of the season and against LSU on January 26.
‘Released’
Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said the team played a fresh attack on Arkansas at the end of its first week of competition in more than a month.
Texas A&M opened the game by hitting 13 of 20 shots, including 6 from three points. The Aggies opened a 35-21 lead before Arkansas closed to 41-38 in the interval.
Running with Razorbacks was OK for Buzz.
“Yes, I think they are in the top 20 in the country in terms of the pace of the game,” said Williams. “As it started, in relation to the pace, I think that whenever you can make consecutive baskets, it gives a certain level of confidence to the team.
“And we don’t have enough evidence to play with a lot of confidence just because it’s the first week we’ve played, but I think our guys are playing with a level of confidence and almost released, if that is the appropriate word, after all they’ve been through. . “
Waiting time
Jalen Tate’s mid-range jump at the 11:52 mark in the second half gave Arkansas their first advantage since a three-point Savion Flagg gave Texas A&M a 22-19 lead at the 12:21 mark in the first half. , a stretch from 20:29.
The Aggies held the lead 26:12 compared to 9:07 for the Razorbacks, with 4:41 tied.
Arkansas took the lead definitively with 79-78 on Moses Moody’s right wing, with 56 seconds remaining.
The lead jumped back and forth six times in the final 11:01 and 22 times overall.
Buckets removed
Hogs had two critical baskets discarded in the second half. Justin Smith’s tip about a Moses Moody three-point gap early in the first half was considered interference in the basket, when the scoreboard would have pulled Arkansas down to less than one point.
With 1:23 remaining, official Mike Nance scored a free-kick over Andre Gordon of Texas A&M in a basket made by Jalen Tate for a potential three-point play. However, an official review showed that Gordon was out of the defensive arc and the goal was deflected by Nance, and a curiously valued foul for Justin Smith, with the score tied at 76-76.
Offensive mistakes
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Texas A&M gave Arkansas two possessions in the middle of the second half due to major offensive errors.
With Arkansas rising 63-62 after a three-point shot by JD Notae, Emanuel Miller dropped his shoulder and collided with Moses Moody, who had just traded him in for Justin Smith. Miller was called in to charge to create an Aggie turnover. In the next possession of the Aggies, the great man Luke McGhee was called to an illegal screen, another one turned, after entering an Arkansas defender to define a choice.
The Razorbacks did not score after the first mistake, when Notae turned the ball in the painting, but Jalen Tate took advantage of the second with a jump from the elbow.
In the closing moments, Aggies guard Jay Jay Chandler was called in for an offensive foul by pushing Tate in the chest with 3:13 remaining and Arkansas ahead by 74-71.
Out of court
Mason Jones, the 2020 SEC player of the year chosen by an Associated Press panel, attended the game and received a big round of applause when it was shown on the video card at the start of the game.
Former Razorback owner Jalen Harris, who moved to Georgetown, was also at the Walton Arena.
For the first time this season, the national anthem was sung in person, and Mary Heather Hickman did the honors. Hickman sings in a band that also includes Razorback Foundation Executive Director Scott Varady.
Tips
• The start of the high score came without the transmission from the SEC Network. The network did not catch the broadcast until the 15:49 mark with Arkansas leading 14 to 13 during the first TV timeout.
• Arkansas chose five guardsmen from Davonte Davis, Moses Moody and Jalen Tate, and forwards Justin Smith and Connor Vanover for the ninth consecutive game.
• A selection of AU students appeared wearing anti-hazard clothing, a clear reference to the Texas A&M’s covid-19 editions, which helped prevent the Aggies from playing in February.
Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams watches the action in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt on Saturday, January 11, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo / Mark Humphrey)