Wednesday, November 27, 1985/The Battalion/Page 13
A&M rips Alcorn State:
Habits haunt Aggies,
despite 82-69 victory
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Photo by ANTHONY S. CASPER
Texas A&M’s Jimmie Gilbert (30) puts up one of his eight field goal
attempts. The Ags’ center had 18 points and nine rebounds.
By BRANDON BERRY
Spoi ls Writer
1 he 1 exas A&M men’s basket
ball team has developed quite a
lew habits for a team so early into
its season and all were on display
1 nesday night in (i. Rollie White
Coliseum when the .Aggies de
le,rted Alcorn State, iS2-(>9.
l ire Intel habits of the Aggies
— paraded almost exclusively in
the first halves of their games —
are poor transition defense, lack
of inside position on rebounds
and total lack of direction in the
passing of fense.
l ire good habits of the Aggies
— seen by demand only in sec
ond halves of games — are great
passing, ferocious rebounding
and a tenacious, trapping zone
defense.
So why does Dr. Jekyll play
like Mr. 11 vde only-in lire second
half itt Aggielaml?
“1 think we were trying too
hard in lire first half ,” said A&M
forward Winston ( tr ite, who led
the Aggies’ charge from a 38-32
halftime deficit with 16 second
half points. ‘“I just loosened up
out there and started playing
basketball instead of thinking so
much. lit the first half, we came
out and tried hard, but we just
didn't gel the, breaks.”
The Aggie's also didn’t get the
shots. In the liist hall, A&!\1 had
taken only shots, compared to
37 for Alcor n State.
Crite loosened up the Braves’
defense with rolls to the basket
and pinpoint passes to center
Jimmie C.ilbert, who had one of
his best shooting nights at A&M
with 1 (S points.
That's what I like to do,”
Crite said of his inside passing. ‘‘I
know what it’s like to be on the
inside and not get the ball. I’ll
take the shot it it’s there, but it’s
always better to get the ball inside
if you can.”
One of the reasons the Aggies
penetrated Alcorn State’s zone
defense in the second halt was
the crisp passing of point guard
Todd Holloway.
Holloway, who was ineffective
against Alabama-Birrningham in
the Aggies’ season opener and
against Alcorn State in the first
halt, teamed up with backcourt-
mate Don Marbury (who once
again led A&M scoring with 23
points) to give the Ags speed and
quickness against the Braves’ fast
break.
A Marbury short jumper from
the right baseline gave the Ag
gies their first lead of the game,
45-44, with less than 14 minutes
remaining in the game. A&M
then built on its lead, never let
ting Alcorn State get closer than
four points the rest of the way.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead
of us,” A&M Coach Shelby Met
calf said. “I did it to us the first
halt. Probably the big line-up we
started (Marbury, Crite, Gilbert,
Mike Clifford and David
Thompson) couldn’t go against
all the speed and quickness they
(the Braves) put on the court.
“In the second half, we played
much better. We had good,
smart passing and defensive in
tensity.”
For the game, the Aggies shot
61 percent from the floor and 79
percent from the free throw line.
Alcorn State, meanwhile, hit on
only 38 percent of their shots
from the field and 65 percent of
their free throws.
A&M out-rebounded Alcorn
State, 44-32, with Crite snaring
11 and Gilbert adding nine.
“People came up to me after
the game and said ‘Wow, coach,
Jimmie had a great game,’ but he
plays like that all the time in
practice,” Metcalf said. “The
guys have just got more confi
dence in his shot now. They
know that if they get the ball to
Jimmie, he’ll score.”
Metcalf said he was concerned
about the Aggies’ lack of prepa
ration time before they take on
Stephen F. Austin at home on
Thanksgiving Day at 1 p.m.
“We know they (the Lum
berjacks) can shoot the ball really
well,” Metcalf said. “They’re 2-0
and they beat Louisiana Tech, at
Tech (in Ruston, La.), by 12
points and Louisiana Tech’s a
real basketball school.
“I can’t really pinpoint one
thing we need to work on. The
passing is there sometimes and
the rebounding is there some
times — those things all go toge
ther.”
Like night and day. Or first
halves and second halves.
Texas A&M forward Winston Crite ends Tuesday night’s game with
a bang. Crite led the Ags with 11 rebounds and scored 19 points.
POST OAK MALL 3
IN THE MALL 764-0616
—SHOWTIMES—
■5:00-7:00-9:00-11:00—
Celebrate
or commiserate.
Like a good Ag, you went to the bonfire
before the game. And of course you
stood up all during the game. Now meet
your friends at J.T. McCord’s after the
game. Enjoy fresh food and great drinks
while you complain about the refs.
You may start a new Aggie tradition.
FUN. FOOD & SPIRITS
2232 Texas Avenue, Brazos Square Shopping Center 696-5369
Open all day Thanksgiving.