Texas A&M (21-8) At Colorado (9-19)
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GAME NOTES: The surging Texas A&M Aggies pull into the Coors Events Center in Boulder to take on the fading Colorado Buffaloes in a Big 12 Conference matchup. Texas A&M comes in searching for a fifth straight win, the team's longest streak since winning 10 straight prior to opening league play in early January. The team is coming off an 87-69 trouncing of Iowa State this past Saturday. An Aggie victory tonight would also be career coaching win No. 200 for Mark Turgeon. Of course, Colorado hasn't enjoyed anywhere near the same type of success as A&M, having lost nine straight. Each of the Buffaloes' last three losses have been by double digits, including Saturday's 75-57 setback at Baylor. They'll wrap up their schedule on the road against Kansas State this Saturday. CU holds a 9-6 edge in the head-to-head series with A&M, although the Aggies have won the last five meetings.
Texas A&M forward Josh Carter buried 7-of-10 three-pointers against Iowa State on Saturday, finishing with a game-high 29 points. Chinemelu Elonu recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Aggies, who shot 52.5 percent from the floor. There was plenty of scoring to go around, as Elonu headlined a bench effort that accounted for 42 combined points. Texas A&M has had a well-balanced attack throughout the season, with four players averaging double figures. Josh Carter, a 41-percent shooter from out on the perimeter, headlines the team with 13.9 ppg. Donald Sloan is next in line with 11.1 ppg, while Elonu (7.6 rpg) and Bryan Davis (6.2 rpg) are each netting 10.4 ppg.
For Colorado, things have gone from bad to worse as the season has progressed. One of the team's biggest disadvantages has been on the glass, as the Buffs are being outrebounded by an average of 5.7 boards per game. They simply haven't been able to match muscle with a lot of the bigger teams in the Big 12. Cory Higgins has been the most consistent player, averaging 17.3 ppg and 5.6 rpg. He is also an 83.3-percent free-throw shooter and gets to the line early and often. Dwight Thorne II, a 41.7-percent shooter from beyond the arc, is averaging 12.3 ppg. But those two can't do it all, and the Buffs haven't broken the 60-point barrier in any of their last four games. Higgins scored 20 in Saturday's loss to Baylor, while Thorne chipped in with 12.
With a strong finish, the Aggies know they can put themselves in solid position for the upcoming Big 12 Tournament. And with coach Turgeon on the brink of win No. 200, a letdown against the hapless Buffs doesn't seem likely.
Predicted OutcomeTexas A&M 83, Colorado 67Copyright 2009 Courtesy of The Sports Network.
