The Aggies appear to have found an unorthodox formula for basketball success.
Build a 17-point lead.
Allow it to evaporate.
Hit a clutch 3-pointer.
Celebrate another victory.
Quenton Jackson hit a huge 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining, and the Aggies (13-2, 2-0) converted four vital free throws to hold off Arkansas, 86-81, on Saturday afternoon in front of 7,900 fans at Reed Arena.
The triumph was eerily similar to A&M’s 81-79 escape from Georgia on Tuesday. The Aggies also let a 17-point lead slip away but prevailed on a Marcus Williams 3-pointer at the buzzer.
A&M did not lose the lead this time, though a 10-0 Arkansas run enabled the Razorbacks (10-5, 0-3) to pull within 79-78 with 1:07 remaining.
Jackson then responded with a 3-pointer from the right wing to put the Aggies back in control. It was the only trey he connected on in four attempts.
“Of course, I’m thinking I’ve got to make this shot,” Jackson said. “But I really wasn’t even thinking a shot. I kind of just took whatever they gave me. I seen them sagging off the first time I tried to attack. I just pulled it. It went in.”
Coach Buzz Williams would’ve liked to have seen the Aggies work for a higher percentage shot, but all’s well that end’s well.
“It was a bad shot,” Williams said. “But I think it speaks to (Jackson’s) moxie. I think it speaks to his confidence. I think it speaks to how much he cares. It was like most coaches would say like ‘Oh, no no no.’ And then it goes in, and you say, ‘yes, yes yes.’”
The most ironic aspect of the victory is that it was nailed down at the foul line. Hassan Diarra and Marcus Williams each hit two free throws in the final 15 seconds.
Which was somewhat stunning considering A&M shot just 53.3 percent from the free-throw line. Before those last four conversions, the Aggies had made just 12-of-26 free throws.
“We get a lot of reps (in practice) having to shoot free throws when we’re tired and wore out,” junior guard Andre Gordon said, who contributed 13 points. “I think that’s actually what kicked it for Hass (Diarra) and Marcus to hit those last free throws at the end of the game to put us up.”
Free throws weren’t the only problem area for the Aggies. They were also outrebounded, 46-32. They surrendered a whopping 20 offensive boards, which Arkansas parlayed into 20 second-chance points.

But the Aggies got 34 points from their bench. Jackson came off the bench for a team-high 16 points, and Wade Taylor IV had 11 in a reserve role.
Henry Coleman also contributed 14, and Tyrece Radford had 12.
Guard JD Notae led Arkansas with 31.
The Aggies also did a strong job on the defensive end. Well, after the first seven minutes, that is.
Arkansas hit eight of its first 12 shots en route to taking a 20-9 lead seven minutes into the game. The Razorbacks shot just 35 percent the rest of the way.
“I thought the tempo started really, really fast the first six minutes of the game,” Buzz Williams said. “We were doing just a really bad job in transition defense and getting matched up.
“I thought, from that point forward, we did better getting back in transition.”
The momentum certainly transitioned. The Aggies rallied to take a 37-35 halftime lead and went on a 16-0 run to control early in the second half.
The lead swelled to 65-48 when Radford stole the basketball and passed to Jackson for a dunk with 11:01 to play.
Arkansas did not fold. Behind Notae and Davonte Davis’ 11 points, the Razorbacks steadily whittled away the Aggies lead.
They moved within 79-78 on a Notae jumper with 1:07 to play.
That’s when Jackson answered with his clutch trey, and Diarra and Marcus Williams followed with their clutch free throws.
Although clinching the victory was perhaps more difficult than necessary, Jackson found value in the late-game drama.
“I think it’s good because it’s a test when the game is close,” Jackson said. “How you need to keep your composure. How you need to react.
“It’s a good test. We handled ourselves well.”
