Aggies no match for Baylor in non-conference reunion of rivals

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WACO - Baylor president Ken Starr said whether a Texas A&M-Baylor hoops reunion continues past next year is up to the coaches and school administrators. He did stroll out of the Ferrell Center late Tuesday with one lasting impression.

"You can tell Baylor Nation thoroughly enjoyed it," he said, smiling.

The Bears' faithful had every reason to. Baylor manhandled the Aggies 77-63 in the programs' first meeting since Feb. 1, 2012, when A&M bolted the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.

"It was A&M versus Baylor - two Texas teams going at it," said forward Rico Gathers, who like the rest of the Bears faced A&M for the first time. "Everybody was laying it on the line."

Well, not everybody. The Aggies finished with zero offensive rebounds, and the Bears snagged as many offensive rebounds (17) as the Aggies had in total.

"I'm really embarrassed about how we competed around the basket," A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. "They physically whipped us. We have to fight."

Texas A&M guard Jalen Jones (12) falls back as Baylor's Al Freeman (25) pushes off going up for a shot attempt in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) less Texas A&M guard Jalen Jones (12) falls back as Baylor's Al Freeman (25) pushes off going up for a shot attempt in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, in Waco, Texas. ... more Photo: Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press Photo: Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Aggies no match for Baylor in non-conference reunion of rivals 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

The "Battle of the Brazos" continued its lopsided ways, too. Baylor has won six consecutive games over A&M.

"This was the game most people talked about on our schedule," Baylor coach Scott Drew said.

Drew then tried offering his friend Kennedy some hope moving forward.

"This game will help him get ready for road games in the SEC," Drew said.

Johnathan Motley, a North Shore product, scored a game-high 22 points for the Bears. No Aggie reached double figures until late in the contest, with Kourtney Roberson and Alex Robinson each finishing with 11 points. Motley also notched a game-high 11 rebounds, and Gathers followed with 10. Together, the duo outrebounded A&M by four.

"I have a lot of respect for them," Kennedy said of the forward tandem of Motley and Gathers. "But I didn't anticipate they would dominate us like they did."

There was plenty of bad blood three years ago when A&M opted to end its longtime league affiliation with the Bears, Texas and Texas Tech, to the point Starr and Baylor even threatened a lawsuit with the notion the Big 12 might break up.

It didn't. And on Tuesday, Starr was gracious in victory after a renewal of a skirmish between universities separated by 90 country miles. The teams will meet again next season in College Station, and whether the series continues is to be determined.

brent.zwerneman@chron.com

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