Texas A&M hosted ULM at Reed Arena for the third game of the season for both programs, and only one team walked away with a win: head coach Bucky McMillan's program, which won its third straight game and will remain undefeated at home.

The Aggies scored 54 points in both halves, the highest-scoring performance of the 2026-27 season so far. Four players scored in double digits, 13 players scored at least one point, and 14 players checked into the game for at least four minutes.

No changes were made to the starting lineup. Still, McMillan knew he would try to get as many people minutes as possible to evaluate better where his team stands heading into Thursday's first Power 4 game of the season. From seeing so many players take the court, here are three major takeaways from the massive win.

Downtown Struggles

To start, A&M struggled to get going from beyond the arc, going 1-for-7. Also noticeable was forward Mackenzie Mgbako taking shots from three and missing all of them. Some of his shot selection was questionable, but the look was there; none fell. He started 0-for-5 and ended up in foul trouble.

Only three 3-pointers were made in that first half.  One of them went to guard Jordan Pope. One was credited to guard PJ Haggerty, and the other was credited to guard Rylan Griffen. Not the ideal start any team wants, especially in non-conference play. Going into intermission, the Maroon and White made only three of their 17 shots from deep, but finished the night with nine makes on 31 attempts.

Tons of Defensive Turnovers

One thing that definitely helped the Aggies build a big lead was the turnovers created by the intense pressure and aggression from Bucky Ball’s defense. There was lots of eye discipline, communication, and understanding of where opposing players were, which helped them accumulate 21 total turnovers over 40 minutes.

Going into intermission, the defense did its job after some of the 3s weren't falling. It gave them a 27-point lead, and much of it came from being disruptive and active with their hands. The team had 10 turnovers at halftime, and Pope, Mgbako, and Neiko Mundey led the team with two steals each. McNeese State guard Tyshawn Archie finished with the most in the second period, with three of his own, and helped guide the team with momentum and confidence.

Bench Point Production

The A&M bench scored 53 points as time expired. Not a bad stat, considering Bucky Ball is known for constantly rotating men in and out, as part of their identity.

Over the first 20 minutes, the Aggies posted only 18 bench points and saw plenty of stars come off the bench in the second half for valuable minutes. In the second half, those numbers rose to 35 bench points as the team cruised the rest of the way, never giving up the lead.

Looking at what this Maroon and White team did, it was very notable to see what Archie could do, as he had a few amazing dunks, and so did Josh Irving. Zach Clemence came off the bench and worked his way to the charity stripe as well, knocking down all five of his free throws. Overall, it was a night where nearly everyone contributed and got the team to the finish line, with lots of trust in the system and the culture being built.