Clutch shooting couldn't seal it. Aggies fall in a nail-biter, a buzzer-beater denied in a thrilling Reed Arena showdown.
Texas A&M basketball fans were on their feet until the final horn Wednesday night, but the Aggies came up just short in a heartbreaker against Missouri, 86-85, at Reed Arena.
The game felt like March in February.
With the SEC standings tightening, every possession mattered, and the final minutes delivered pure chaos. The lead flipped back and forth repeatedly down the stretch before Missouri grabbed the final edge on a late dunk by Shawn Phillips Jr. with 17 seconds left.
Texas A&M had one last look, but Rashaun Agee’s spinning attempt in the lane was denied at the buzzer.
The Aggies did plenty right offensively.
Zach Clemence turned in one of the most efficient performances of his career, pouring in 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting and hitting 3-of-4 from three-point range.
Rylan Griffen added 17 points, five rebounds and three assists, knocking down four triples. Agee contributed 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks in another strong all-around outing.
As a team, Texas A&M shot 50 percent from the floor and connected on 15-of-33 from beyond the arc. In the first half alone, the Aggies buried 11 threes and had nine different players score from long distance, building a 46-41 halftime lead despite being out-rebounded.
Missouri answered in the second half with a key scoring run to seize momentum, but the Aggies battled back behind clutch shooting from Clemence, Griffen and Jacari Lane. Ultimately, the Tigers made one more play.
Texas A&M, now 17-7 overall and 7-4 in SEC play, will look to bounce back quickly as it heads to Nashville to face No. 19 Vanderbilt on Saturday in another pivotal conference showdown.