Oregon scores final 10 points as No. 20 A&M falls in Las Vegas, 80-70

What happened in Vegas has happened before. 

On Tuesday, No. 20 Texas A&M (4-2) blew a double-digit second-half lead to Oregon (6-0) in the first game of the Players Era Festival, falling 80-70.

On a night that deserved celebration, the party was cut short when Oregon’s 16-0 run stunned the Aggies, who went from up 10 with nine minutes left to losing by 10.

Despite Solomon Washington’s first-half injury, A&M took a three-point lead into halftime and extended it with multiple 3s early out of the break.  

Six minutes into the second half, Wade Taylor IV passed Acie Law IV for fourth place on A&M’s all-time scoring list with 1,670 points.

His accomplishment was quickly overshadowed.

Four minutes later, the Ducks surged ahead on a 9-0 run, erasing A&M’s 58-48 lead. 

For the second consecutive game, Oregon erased a double-digit second-half deficit, and A&M didn’t put up much resistance, letting the 9-0 run balloon to 16-0. 

The Aggies finished 22-of-68 (32 percent) from the field.

That wasn’t a déjà vu moment from Orlando, it’s actually happened twice. 

Over their first two games away from Reed Arena, the Aggies went up by nine and 10 points late in the second half only to lose by three and 10, respectively. 

Jeffrey (Tyge) O'Donnell-Imagn Images

Texas A&M shot just 32 percent (22-of-68) from the field against Oregon, including 27 percent in the second half to relinquish a 10-point lead with nine minutes left.

This collapse against Oregon happened roughly five minutes earlier than the UCF collapse, which gave the Maroon & White time to claw back at the free-throw line and tie the game at 70 a piece with 2:21 left. 

Taylor and Zhuric Phelps, who combined for 35 of A&M’s 70 points, missed back-to-back shots in the same possession that would’ve given the Aggies the lead. But instead, the Ducks went on to score the last 10 points of the game.

Guard play reigns supreme in March, but it’s clear that the Aggies still have work to do in November.

Late turnovers and poor shot selection proved to be their downfall.

Taylor and Phelps combined to take eight of the last 11 shots, missing all eight. Manny Obaseki struggled all night, finishing 2-of-9. CJ Wilcher hit two big threes. The backcourt had 10 combined turnovers, a season high.

Buzz Williams’ team executed nearly every aspect of their winning formula, except for when it mattered most.

They outrebounded Oregon by six, had 21 offensive rebounds, totaled 25 second-chance points, made 75 percent of their free throws and held the Ducks’ best player — Nate Bittle — to just six points, but offensive letdowns in crunch time can’t be the story this season.

This team is too experienced and talented to collapse not once, but twice in their first six games. 

Outscored 32-12 in the last nine minutes of the game, A&M’s offense fell asleep again, finishing the last 4:41 without a made field goal. They finished the final 4:51 in Orlando without a made field goal in the season opener. 

The Aggies need to find their identity in a hurry with Creighton, Texas Tech and Purdue looming. 

Now 14-14 at neutral sites over the last three seasons, A&M needs to figure out how to win big games away from Reed Arena. There’s no home court in March. Neutral site wins set the tone for postseason success.

The Aggies look to bounce back against No. 21 Creighton Wednesday at 5:30 pm CT to salvage their trip out west.