Texas A&M pushed No. 24 Tennessee to the brink on the road, but in the end, it was the Volunteers who walked away with an 87-82 double-overtime win.
The Aggies had every chance to close it out, leading for most of regulation, but couldn’t overcome a massive rebounding deficit - Tennessee dominated the glass 60-35, including a staggering 22 offensive boards that turned into over 20 second-chance points. That kind of disparity is tough to survive, especially on the road in SEC play.
Now, the Aggies (13-4, 3-1 SEC) are turning the page quickly, because a big one’s up next: the Lone Star Showdown. Texas A&M and Texas renew their rivalry on Saturday, and while the schools split their meetings last season, there’s a new chapter being written with fresh faces on the sidelines. Bucky McMillan and Sean Miller are still settling into their roles, but they’re about to get a crash course in what this rivalry means - not just to the fans, but to the programs.
For McMillan and the Aggies, the focus is simple: clean up the details. Against Tennessee, they left too many points at the line, finishing 21-of-32 on free throws.
In a game decided by five points across two overtimes, that’s the kind of stat that sticks with you. And it’s not just a one-off - free throw struggles have been a theme.
If A&M had been sharper at the stripe, they might be sitting at 4-0 in SEC play right now. That’s how fine the margins are in this league.
Texas, meanwhile, is catching fire at just the right time. The Longhorns are coming off an impressive road win at Alabama and followed it up by knocking off No.
11 Vanderbilt at home. They’re playing confident, physical basketball and establishing themselves as one of the SEC’s hottest teams heading into the heart of the schedule.
McMillan knows what it’s going to take to get his team ready for a hostile environment and a high-stakes matchup. “Our players have to block out all the noise,” he said.
“Our success in this game is going to be our ability to focus on the things that equate to winning basketball. That is playing good basketball.
Playing hard, playing unselfish, and playing together.”
Health-wise, both teams are in relatively good shape heading into Saturday, with one notable absence for the Aggies - junior forward Mackenzie Mgbako is out for the season. Starting guard Marcus Hill, who had been listed on the injury report earlier this week, is good to go and expected to be in the lineup.
Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. One of college basketball’s fiercest rivalries is back - and with both teams trending in different ways, this one has all the makings of a statement game.