Smith helps No. 17 Missouri beat Texas A&M 68-52

TX – Dru Smith scored 15 points and No. 17 Missouri shook off rust from an 11-day layoff due to COVID-19 protocols to beat Texas A&M 68-52 on Saturday.

Jeremiah Tilmon added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (8-2, 2-2 SEC).

Andre Gordon paced the Aggies (7-5, 2-4) with 19 points.

The Tigers led 27-24 at the half and used a 21-5 run midway through the second half to take control of the game.

After trailing for the majority of the first half, Missouri mounted a 12-2 run to close out the half and held the Aggies scoreless for the final four minutes. In that run, Texas A&M went 0-for-11 from the field.

The Tigers truly found their form in the second, piecing together a 21-5 run through the middle of the second half to add cushion to the halftime lead. Seven of Pickett’s 12 points came during the game-sealing run.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri has a chance to put together its first winning streak of conference play, having alternated losses between its win against Arkansas on Jan. 2. Despite starting off strong against the Tigers, the Aggies repeated a trend of only one half of strong play in the loss.