Undersized Aggies hold off shorthanded Tigers to open SEC play, 75-72

Game #14: Texas A&M 75, Louisiana State 72
Records: Texas A&M (11-3, 1-0), Louisiana State (12-2, 0-1)
Box Score

The ability to learn from mistakes is a great step toward achieving success.

Texas A&M demonstrated that ability on Saturday afternoon in a 75-72 Southeastern Conference-opening basketball victory over LSU at Reed Arena.

The Aggies (11-3, 1-0) kept composure and made clutch plays in the final minute to hold off the obviously bigger Tigers (12-2, 0-1).

Pop Isaacs and Rylan Griffen hit key free throws in the final five seconds, but the win wasn’t sure until a 3-point attempt hit iron at the buzzer.

Rashaun Agee scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Aggies. Rubén Dominguez also contributed 13 points, while Ali Dibba and Isaacs had 12 and 11, respectively.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

With 15 points and 11 rebounds, Rashaun Agee clinched his sixth double-double of the year.

LSU was led by forward Michael Nwoko with 21 and guard Max MacKinnon with 20.

It was undeniably a big win for the Aggies. Their non-conference record was largely built against inferior competition, so the victory provided a level of validation for their fast start.

Also, any victory over a conference opponent is huge, especially a win at home.

“They’re a good team,” A&M coach Bucky McMillan said of LSU. “They’ll go on to win some big games.

“The route to give yourself the best chance is to take care of business at home.”

Old-timers might even say the win was “bigger than Dallas.” Maybe. Maybe not. But at least the Aggies learned from an earlier trip to Dallas.

A month ago, the Aggies traveled to the Dallas area to face SMU. A&M led by four points with 36 seconds remaining, but a series of miscues allowed SMU to tie the game as the Aggies lost in overtime.

The Aggies were determined not to repeat those past mistakes.

“We talk about execution from that game still to this day,” Agee said. “Talking about doing things the right way. Being mentally tough throughout the whole 40 minutes of the game and understanding each game play matters. Each possession matters.

“(We’ve) Got to understand a game can change in seconds.”

It certainly did.

A&M held a 10-point lead with less than nine minutes remaining, but LSU launched a 12-1 run to take a 64-63 lead with 5:33 to play.

Neither team held a two-possession margin until two free throws by Isaacs put A&M ahead 74-70 with just 4.2 seconds left.

Still, a lot of stress remained.

First, Agee fouled Nwoko on the ensuing long in-bounds pass. That allowed Nwoko to hit a pair of free throws and cut A&M’s lead to 74-72 without any time elapsing from the clock.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Rubén Dominguez was 4-for-9 from 3-point range and finished with 13 points.

“We’re up four coming out of a timeout with four-and-a-half seconds, and we say the only way we can lose this game (is) one of two ways… We can foul or call a timeout,” McMillan said. “What do we do? We foul before it comes in.”

Agee was frustrated with himself.

“It’s absolutely my fault,” he said. “I’m an older player. I can’t foul in that situation.”

Griffen was quickly fouled on A&M’s ensuing in-bounds play. He made the second of two free throws.

That gave LSU one last chance to tie, but the final heave by Mazi Mosley came up short.

That miss secured the victory, but McMillan was adamant that the Aggies won the game on the boards.

Though without injured 6-foot-9 forward Mackenzie Mgbako and obviously smaller than the visiting Tigers, A&M outrebounded LSU, 38-30. The Aggies also pulled down 15 offensive boards.

“It doesn’t take a genius to see we’re pretty undersized out there on the floor,” McMillan said. “But we won the rebounding battle.

“Our guys really fought.”