Tramon Mark’s second-half heroics push Arkansas past Texas A&M
The Arkansas Razorbacks (13-13, 4-9 SEC) picked up an important road win over the Texas A&M Aggies (15-11, 6-7 SEC) to complete a season sweep of the Aggies and derail their tournament hopes. It was Arkansas’ first win in College Station during head coach Eric Musselman’s tenure.
Junior guard Tramon Mark led the charge, scoring a game-high 26 points and shooting 8-16 from the field and 8-10 from the free throw line. He also tallied six rebounds and five assists.
“It felt good,” Mark said postgame. “My momma, my dad, my sister, my girlfriend…they were all here tonight, so it felt good playing in front of them. Seeing them all together in the crowd, and having a good game like I did, and most importantly getting the win in front of them.”
The Dickinson, Texas, native was key in holding off a late surge from the Aggies, as 22 of his 26 points came in the second half. After Texas A&M cut the Arkansas lead to three in the closing stretch of the game, Mark responded with a huge four-point play to put the Razorbacks up 65-58 and swing momentum back in their direction.
“We went to a lot of isolations with him at the top of the key,” Musselman said after the game. “I played him at the point guard position entirely the second half where he was the primary ball-handler and we had other point guards running ghost screens or in the corner to try to space the floor out and let him go to work. I thought he was phenomenal with the shot selection. Obviously, that big three that he took was extremely important.”
Mark’s impact was also felt on the defensive end, as the tandem of him and freshman guard Layden Blocker combined to disrupt the Aggies’ backcourt. Star guards Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford combined to shoot just 8-28 from the field. After Taylor IV scored 41 points against the Razorbacks in January, the Hogs did a much better job at containing the preseason SEC player of the year.
“Coach Muss drew up a game plan for us…we did a great job on those guys,” Mark said. “I feel like we limited their attempts and made other players score.”
Musselman also praised Mark’s toughness playing through multiple injuries this season. He took a nasty fall on his shoulder in the first half, but quickly returned to the game.
“Quite honestly, we didn‘t know if he would practice the past couple days, or play,” Musselman said. “He’s been getting with our trainer. I’m usually one of the first ones in the building now since I work out there. He’s been in there a lot of late. He’s playing through pain. He’s doing it for the betterment of the team, but it’s been bothering him for quite some time.”
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The Houston transfer has made a habit feasting on the Aggies this season. In the first matchup in Fayetteville, Mark scored a career-high 35 points to lead Arkansas to a nail-biting 78-77 victory. His impact was felt again in a road win that he says is indicative of the Razorbacks’ resiliency.
“It’s no secret, you know?” Mark said of his big performances against Texas A&M. “I was able to get to my spot on certain guys and do what I need to do to score a basket. Whether that’s pass or shoot, I feel like I made the right decision for most of the game.”
“I don’t think we’re ever going to give up. We’re going to play until the final buzzer, no matter how the season has been going.”
Clearly in good spirits, the Razorbacks will head back to Bud Walton Arena for a matchup against Missouri (8-18, 0-13 SEC) on Saturday. The game will tip off at 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.