'Savant-ish': Andersson Garcia's Career Night Key to Aggies' 2nd Straight Win

The Texas A&M Aggies notched their second win of the season after dropping their season opener to UCF, and crucial to that effort has been — and will be — senior forward Andersson Garcia.

Nov 8, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies forward Andersson Garcia (11) looks to pass the ball against the East Texas A&M during the first half at Reed Arena. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Monday evening, Andersson Garcia notched the most minutes he had all season, and for good reason.

The Texas A&M Aggies' senior forward, who had scored just seven points in the previous two games combined, notched more than double that in one evening as the Maroon & White recorded a home blowout over Lamar.

On the evening, Garcia finished with 15 points on 71 percent shooting from the floor — perfect from 3 — to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and one each steal and block.

That was more than enough to earn the praise from Buzz Williams following the contest, especially regarding his performance on the boards.

“I think Andy played the best he’s ever played," the Aggies' coach said. "(He's) really bright. How he processes rebounding is savant-ish. He is a much more confident shooter than he has ever been because of the work he’s put in."

For Garcia, reaching the point he hit Monday, which he intends to remain at as the season continues, was simple. Over the summer, he put shots up and worked on growing his confidence.

The rest of it worked itself out.

"I was feeling great," Garcia said of notching a career-high. "My mentality was it was my last year so I needed to play one game at a time. I want to take advantage of every second.”

After dropping the first game of the season, the Aggies knew they had their work cut out for them. Williams won't admit it, but he was a big part of their two-game rebound and will continue to be as the Aggies look to get their coach past his 350th win.

That starts with Garcia, but extends far beyond him.

“We just keep getting better," the forward said. "(We're trying to be the best in (our roles). Don’t go outside of your role. That will help a lot, no matter who you play.”

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