Texas A&M’s February slide continued on Saturday afternoon in Nashville, where a sharp-shooting Vanderbilt squad handed the Aggies their fourth straight SEC loss, 82-69. Despite keeping things close for much of the game, A&M couldn’t overcome Vanderbilt’s consistent rhythm on offense - and the Commodores made them pay.
Vandy shot 44% from the field as a team, and while that number might not jump off the page, it was the timing of those makes that hurt the most. Every time the Aggies threatened to close the gap, Vanderbilt responded with a key bucket - whether it was a midrange jumper off a screen or a well-timed three that silenced a potential run.
Marcus Hill did his part to keep the Aggies in it, putting up 20 points and showing flashes of the scoring talent that’s made him a go-to option this season. But outside of Hill, the support just wasn’t there. No other A&M player reached double figures, and that lack of offensive balance made it tough to keep pace.
Late-game discipline - or the lack of it - once again became a storyline. A&M has shown grit in stretches, but careless turnovers and defensive lapses in crunch time have become a recurring theme during this SEC skid. Add in a rough day at the line (just 50% from the stripe), and it’s clear the Aggies left points on the table.
It’s not panic time just yet, but the margin for error is shrinking. While Texas A&M’s postseason hopes are still alive, each loss chips away at their cushion. First-year head coach McMillan has shown he can get this team to play hard and compete, but the next step is turning that effort into wins - especially with March looming.
The Aggies won’t have much time to dwell. They’ll be back home at Reed Arena on Wednesday to host Ole Miss, looking to stop the bleeding and get back in the win column.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.