Texas A&M stormed back to take a late lead but couldn't close, surrendering a 7-0 run and getting outscored 16-3 in OT in a brutal 93-80 loss to SMU.
Texas A&M had the game right where it wanted it, and then watched it evaporate.
Despite a furious second-half rally and a late lead, the Aggies collapsed down the stretch and in overtime, falling 93-80 to SMU on Sunday at College Park Center in Arlington in a game that will sting for a while.
Jaron Pierre Jr. was the Aggies' nightmare all afternoon.
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The SMU guard exploded for a season-high 35 points, including the dagger stretch in overtime that buried A&M. Pierre hit a jumper with 25 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 77, then opened OT by scoring five straight, two free throws and a 3-pointer, to break a 79-79 tie.
From there, the Mustangs never looked back, outscoring Texas A&M 16-3 in the extra session.
Pierre finished 13-of-21 from the field, 3-of-8 from deep, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line, falling just one point shy of his career high. The Aggies never really found an answer for him.
SMU led 41-27 at halftime and pushed the margin to 49-34 early in the second half.
For a while, it looked like the Aggies might get run out of the gym. But to their credit, they punched back.
Marcus Hill led the Aggies with 25 points and seven rebounds before fouling out, sparking the second-half surge. Rashawn Agee posted a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Mackenzie Mgbako added 13 of his own as A&M methodically chipped away.
The comeback peaked in the final 90 seconds of regulation.
Layups from Hill and Mgbako, followed by a clutch 3-pointer from Pop Isaacs, capped a 7-0 run and gave Texas A&M a 77-73 lead with just 1:17 left.
That should've been the knockout blow. Instead, it turned into the setup for a collapse.
SMU's B.J. Edwards calmly sank two free throws, and Pierre drilled the game-tying jumper to force overtime. Once they got the reset, the Mustangs dominated. Edwards flirted with a triple-double, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
Boopie Miller added 19 points on a perfect 10-of-10 at the line, while Corey Washington (14 points) and Samet Yigitoglu (12 points, 8 boards) gave SMU balance.
For Texas A&M, this one goes in the "missed opportunity" file - a road-neutral win over a 9-1 SMU team was right there.
Instead, the Aggies walk away with a brutal reminder that comebacks only matter if you finish the job.