NEW YORK — Washington State men's basketball trailed by just six points at halftime to Texas A&M. However, the Aggies came out of the half on a mission and went on a furious 38-19 run to put this game out of reach. Texas A&M defeated WSU 72-56 at Madison Square Garden.
The Aggies had three players in double figures and deployed a swarming defense that forced 17 Cougar turnovers.
WSU senior guard Michael Flowers was held to 2-12 shooting and was 0-5 from beyond the arc in this game. Junior guard Tyrell Roberts led the Cougs with 14 points.
The Cougs were outscored 58-16 in the paint tonight and their three point shooting was not efficient enough to keep them in the ballgame. Texas A&M led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
WSU finishes its season with a record of 22-15. The team will likely return four of their five starters next season, so head coach Kyle Smith will have a solid base to grow from going forward.
Texas A&M advances to the NIT championship game on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Aggies will take on Xavier, who advanced to the championship game by defeating St. Bonaventure 84-77 in the early game tonight.