COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Northwestern State men's basketball battled through a relentless Texas A&M press but couldn't overcome the Aggies' size and tempo in a 98–68 loss Monday night at Reed Arena. 

Third-year head coach Rick Cabrera praised his team's effort despite the outcome, noting the experience will serve as a valuable early test. 

"I'm proud of my guys for the effort," Cabrera said. "We did some good things, but giving up 98 points is never acceptable. We didn't guard the way my teams are known to defend. The press bothered us, but it's a learning experience. One loss doesn't define us — we'll bounce back." 

The Aggies opened with a 6–0 burst before Micah Thomas hit a step-back 3 at 18:25 to stop the run.  

The Demons (0–1) trimmed the margin to three after an Izzy Miles layup and free throw, but A&M's transition game and perimeter shooting rebuilt a double-digit lead. Despite strong finishes from Moustapha Loum and Kordrick Turner, the Aggies closed the half on a surge to lead 56–35. 

Texas A&M (1–0) shot 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range in the first half while forcing nine Demon turnovers for 14 points. Thomas paced NSU with 18 first-half points, keeping the offense afloat against the Aggies' pressure. 

Cabrera said facing an SEC press like A&M's "Bucky Ball" defense provided perspective on the challenges ahead.  

"We're not going to see another defense like this," he said. "They scored 48 points in the paint — that's almost half their total. You can't win when teams are getting that many layups and twos. But this is how we get better. I told our guys: it's a learning game." 

Thomas continued his hot hand after halftime, scoring a career-high 28 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-4 from 3 and 6-for-6 from the line.  

Chris Mubiru added a 3-pointer and dished out three assists, while Omar Adegbola provided a second-half spark with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 4-for-4 from the stripe. Justin Redmond contributed with eight points on 3-11 shooting for the Demons off the bench and Loum chipped in six points on 3-of-4 shooting. 

"Micah carried us and played like a guard who could start for them," Cabrera said. "Moustapha was phenomenal — he's an elite athlete at the rim — and Omar played really well. I'm proud of those guys. We just need others to step up and get healthy." 

Texas A&M's 24–6 run midway through the second half broke the game open. The Aggies finished with 48 points in the paint, 53 from their bench, and capitalized on 24 points off NSU turnovers. 

Cabrera emphasized the impact of missing forward Willie Williams, who was sidelined with an injury.  

"Willie's such a big part of what we do," Cabrera said. "He's a great ball handler for his size and would've helped us against their press. Once we're healthy, I expect us to compete for a conference championship." 

Northwestern State returns to action Thursday at North Texas. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Denton, Texas.