Seldom are sequels better, unless you're the Texas A&M men's basketball team.
A&M beat Baylor for the second straight time since last season's five-overtime loss to the Bears. Both victories were vital to the program's growth.
Some thought A&M's stay as one of the nation's top basketball programs could be short-lived after the Bears came to Reed Arena last season and escaped with a 116-110 victory. Baylor had just cracked the Top 25 for the first time in 39 years, while the Aggies fell to 1-3 in Big 12 play. But A&M rebounded to eventually reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament, losing a heartbreaker to eventual Final Four participant UCLA.
One of A&M's biggest victories along the way was a 71-57 victory over Baylor at Waco. A&M had one of its best efforts of the season in a game many felt the Aggies had to win to get into the NCAA Tournament.
There were no NCAA Tournament bids on the line Wednesday night at Reed Arena, but the Aggies needed a good showing all the same. A&M's 14-1 nonconference record that included a few soft victories down the stretch didn't look like much after the Aggies dropped a 72-61 Big 12 opener at Oklahoma State. With games against sixth-ranked Oklahoma, defending national champ Kansas and 11th-ranked Texas just ahead, an 0-5 start in league play was a possibility if the Aggies couldn't get past the Bears at home.
Forget that.
The way A&M played in Wednesday night's 84-73 victory, now a 4-1 start to the Big 12 season seems possible, for A&M, not Baylor, played like the 21st-ranked team in the country.
It was the Aggies taking control early. It was the Aggies fending off every Baylor ploy at gaining momentum. And it was the Bears who panicked, made bad passes and committed stupid fouls in the face of A&M's defensive intensity. Baylor forced 3-pointers, which is why it missed eight of its first nine attempts. A&M, meanwhile, made the extra pass, which allowed it hit its first six 3-point attempts.
And when Baylor tried to take control, it only served to help A&M. The Bears tried to increase the pace early, but the strategy often backfired, leading to an ill-advised shot or turnover. The opportunistic Aggies had a 10-point edge in the first half in points off turnovers, which is why A&M had an 11-point lead.
And when Baylor tried to take control, it only served to help A&M. The Bears tried to increase the pace early, but the strategy often backfired, leading to an ill-advised shot or turnover. The opportunistic Aggies had a 10-point edge in the first half in points off turnovers, which is why A&M had an 11-point lead.
A&M set the tone at the outset, winning every physical confrontation. A&M's Bryan Davis and Baylor's Mamadou Diene got tangled up early with referee Ted Hillary, who got the worst of it as he was sent flying across the floor. That revved up the Aggie fans, especially the 2,547 students who came back early from Christmas break to show their support.
A few of those students harassed the dejected Bears as they walked off the court at halftime after a season-low 28 points in the first 20 minutes.
The A&M players made sure the second half was just as bad for the visitors and enjoyable for the fans by showing championship mettle down the stretch -- even when things went awry.
The Aggies missed three straight front ends of one-on-one free throws, but Baylor could score only once after one of those misses.
Elonu also missed a two-handed dunk with less than 5 minutes left, and Baylor answered with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 73-65. But the Aggies didn't let the sequence turn into something bigger for the Bears and closed out the game playing strong on both sides of the court.
Every A&M starter scored in double figures. The 6-foot-10 Elonu got A&M off to a great start by dominating inside, scoring nine of the Aggies' first 13 points. Davis complemented Elonu inside with a solid all-around game, even picking up an assist with a nifty pass to Elonu for a dunk. Point guard Donald Sloan and forward Josh Carter played like the leaders they need to be for A&M to return to the NCAA Tournament.
It will be a short-lived celebration. A&M will need this same kind of effort Saturday against Oklahoma, which handed the Aggies a 64-37 thumping the last time the two met.
Maybe that sequel will be better for the Aggies, too.