Page 1B • Monday, January 20, 2004
Sports
The Battalion
Aggies fall to No. 12 Kansas 71-65
\
Wright scores 25 points to
lead Aggies in close home loss
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
Oul-playing one ol' the best programs in
I college baksetball history has never been a
" Texas A&M tradition. Losing, however, as
the Aggies (8-6. 0-2 Big 12) lost to No. 12
Kansas. 71-65 Saturday, is still a tradition
that is intact — at least for now.
"I think that (the Aggies) have the
pieces," said Kansas head coach Bill
Self. "They totally domi
nated us physically. I
knew that they had ath
letes, but they were far
superior athletically today
I than we were."
According to the hislo-
Iry of A&M basketball, the
Aggies aren’t supposed to
play this well. The Aggies
out-rebounded Kansas 40-
35 and had more assists
than Kansas, which boasts
Aaron Miles as one of the
(premiere point guards in
(the nation. 20-10. A&M
[also committed three less
[turnovers than the
[Jayhawks.
In the end. though, it was the Aggies’
[shooting that did them in. A&M shot just
[36.4 percent from the floor, and hit only
Jsix of 28 three-point attempts.
J "Some of the guys’ shots didn't go dow n
■that they normally hit." said A&M sopho-
Jmore guard/forward Antoine Wright. "1
■don't think it w as because of the contested
■shots, I think it was guys rushing shots. I
[think it was more us than (Kansas)."
| Kansas' shooting had far better suc
cess. The Jayhawks hit two more field
UnJ^han the Avgu despite shooting
shots., iltl " ' *
shots, i»< ludmg-ui) aMounilMio
six of 10 from three-point range.
After picking up two quick fouls and
watching much of the first half from the bench,
Kansas junior guard Keith Langford re-entered
the game with just more than four minutes
remaining in the half. He immediately scored
10 straight points for the Jayhawks, including
two three-pointers, to give Kansas its first lead
of the game since the 18:58 mark.
Langford led the Jayhawks with 21
points, missing just one shot from the field.
"I've (picked up two
early fouls) before this
year at Michigan State and
against TCU," Langford
said. "It's all about keeping
your head in the game."
The beginning of the
second half saw- Kansas
freshman guard J.R.
Giddens take over where
Langford left off as he
buried three three-pointers
to push the Jayhawks out to
a 10-point lead. Giddens
finished the game with 14
points and four three-point
field goals.
Although the Kansas
lead never diminished, the
Aggies were certainly never out of it due
largely to Wright's 25 points and 12
rebounds and senior center Andy
Slocum’s control of the paint.
Slocum held Kansas' post duo of sen
ior Jeff Graves and junior Wayne Simien
to 17 combined points and just eight
combined rebounds while collecting 14
rebounds of his own.
"I personally love Slocum." Self said.
"He’s a guy I’d love to have, and Antoine
Wright is as good a scorer as there is in the
league.
w Despite the effort, .the Aggies never.
u,
I think they
have the pieces.
They totally
(dominated us
physically../'
— Bill Self
Kansas basketball coach
|P Beato III • THE BATTALION
Sophomore guord/forward Antoine Wright dunks while Kansas players look on in the
Jayhawks 71 -65 win over the Aggies. For more game photos visit www.thebatt.com,
got within four points after missing two
key three-point attempts in the final
minute that would have gotten the
Aggies within striking distance.
, "We.Jiad a game plan To collapse
uiskle and take aw.i\ easy buckets on the
inside." said A&M head coach Melvii
Watkins. "Their perimeter player
stepped up and hit some big buckets
That’s what good teams do, you tak<
away one thing and tty-'y find anothe
w.i\ io beat you.
Cassidy
takes job at
Nebraska
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
After serving as recruiting coordina
tor for the Texas A&M football team for
15 years, Tim Cassidy has accepted the
associate athletic director for football
position at the University of Nebraska.
Cassidy is the latest addition to
Nebraska's rebuild
ing efforts. The uni
versity recently
hired new football
coach Bill Callahan,
who was head coach
of the Oakland
Raiders in the NFL
last season.
Cassidy will
serve as the head of Nebraska football
operations, coordinate on-campus
recanting efforts and work closely with
Nebraska Athletic Director Steve
Pederson as a member of Pederson's
executive team.
"Administration of a top college foot
ball program takes an organized, thor
ough and intelligent person," Pederson
said. "Tim Cassidy brings all those things
to the table."
Going to Nebraska is a bit of a home
coming for Cassidy and his family.
Cassidy is a native of Omaha. His wife
Nancy, an accounting lecturer at A&M. is
also originally from Nebraska.
Cassidy will join an athletic depart
ment that A&M Athletic Director Bill
Byrne knows well. Byrne served as ath
letic director at Nebraska for 10 years
before leaving to take over at A&M.
"Tim has been a valuable member of
our senior staff and we would like to
See Cassidy on page 3B