How did Texas A&M make it to the Sweet 16? These numbers tell the story

Need a crash course on Texas A&M before the second-seeded Aggies take on No. 3 seed Arizona in Saturday’s Sweet 16 matchup?

You got it.

The Aggies (25-2) survived an 84-82 overtime thriller in their second-round game against Iowa State thanks to a buzzer-beater from guard Jordan Nixon. Before that, they struggled to put away Troy 84-80 in the first round.

Here are some key statistics and numbers to know about as A&M prepares for the Wildcats:

.926

At 25-2 (.926), the Aggies have the best single-season winning percentage in program history. It surpasses that of the 2010-11 team, which went 33-5 (.868) and won the national championship.

9-1

Texas A&M enters the Sweet 16 with a 9-1 record against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. The most notable was a 65-57 win against fifth-ranked South Carolina on Feb. 28 Arizona, by comparison, has gone 3-3 against Top-25 schools this season.

3

Texas A&M is in the Sweet 16 for the third straight tournament. The Aggies made it in 2018 and 2019, though they lost in the Sweet 16 both years. (Last year’s tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic).

32

The Aggies rank 32nd in the country in scoring offense, averaging 75.2 points per game. They scored 84 in each of this week’s two NCAA tournament wins.

All five of A&M’s starters average at least 10 points per game. Senior guard Aaliyah Wilson leads the team with 12.6 points per game and was an All-SEC second-team pick.

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Fellow starters N’dea Jones, Kayla Wells, Jordan Nixon and Ciera Johnson have all scored more than 280 points this season. They’re all shooting at least 40% from the field.

265

The Aggies are outscoring their opponent by 265 points (1080-815) during the second and third quarters this season.

49

Senior guard Destiny Pitts comes off the bench, and is the Aggies’ 3-point shooting specialist. Pitts, the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year and a Minnesota transfer, has made 49 3s on 105 attempts (47%). However, Pitts has made just one 3-pointer in her two tournament appearances off the bench.

35

Nixon was Texas A&M’s hero in the second round. The 5-foot-8-inch guard scored a career-high 35 points against Iowa State, including a game-tying bucket at the end of regulation and the game-winner as time expired in overtime.

In two tournament games, Nixon has put up 21 and 35 points while shooting 22 for 38 (57%) from the field.

5-5

Texas A&M is 5-5 in its last 10 games against Pac-12 schools dating back to the 2014-15 season. However, the Aggies have won three straight.

13

Arizona has lost to Texas A&M in each of its last three meetings, with an average margin of defeat of 13 points.

The last Aggies vs. Wildcats matchup came in 2010-2011 when A&M won 87-78 at a neutral site game in Mexico.