Second-half rally ends slide and saves A&M's postseason hopes

Game #26: Texas A&M 80, Ole Miss 77
Records: Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5), Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10)
Box Score

Just when Texas A&M’s NCAA Tournament aspirations were fading, the Aggies were rescued by CPR.

More accurately, they were saved by CDR — as in Clemence, Dominguez and Rashaun.

Clutch shots of Zach Clemence, Rubén Dominguez and Rashaun Agee — and a huge offensive rebound from Josh Holloway — ignited a Lazarus-like rally which lifted the Aggies (18-8, 8-5) to a much-needed 80-77 Southeastern Conference basketball victory over Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10) on Wednesday night at Reed Arena.

The Aggies, who trailed by as much as 13 points midway through the second half, launched a 9-0 run over the final 2:45 to end a four-game losing streak and keep alive their March Madness hopes.

“I’m going to tell you the truth: That was a must-win game,” a jubilant A&M head coach Bucky McMillan said. “That was a must-win game. And our guys came through.”

Did they ever. The Aggies trailed 77-71 with fewer than three minutes remaining.

Then Dominguez, who's been mired in a 3-point shooting slump, drilled a 3-pointer from the corner.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

Zach Clemence is averaging 14.3 points per game in the Aggies’ last three contests.

Clemence stole an entry pass on the Rebels’ ensuing possession. Then, he drew a foul while hitting a jump shot that brought the Aggies within 77-76 with 2:06 to play.

Clemence missed the and-one free throw, but Holloway ran down the biggest offensive rebound of the game. He got the ball to Agee, who drove for a layup and a 78-77 lead.

The Reed Arena crowd of 8,594 erupted in a celebratory roar, but almost two minutes remained.

Ole Miss failed to convert 3-pointers on three consecutive trips down the floor.

“We just locked in,” Clemence said of the Aggies defense, which held Ole Miss scoreless over the final 3:32. “It’s just one of those things you’ve got to do. I mean, no rebounds. Like, we try to get everything. We wanted it more. That’s all.”

Agee rebounded the final miss, was fouled and converted two free throws with 1.3 seconds showing to cap off the incredible come-from-behind victory.

Agee posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way. Clemence and Marcus Hill both scored 14, and Dominguez finished with 13.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

Before Wednesday, Rashaun Agee had yet to record a double-double since Texas A&M’s last win on Jan. 31 against Georgia.

“Never have I been seven games away and feel like we got a win in the NCAA Tournament,” he said. “Incredible win. I know we can say we could have shot it better or finished better, and all that. But our fight was there.

“A lot of times in that spot, you’ll see some players afraid to stick their necks out because their head may get chopped off. They don’t want to be the guy to cost yourself the game. I think our guys all knew the implications of the game.”

Indeed, there were massive implications. The four-game skid had caused A&M’s NET ranking, which is a guideline for the NCAA Tournament selection committee, to precariously drop to No. 43.

The Aggies were on the proverbial bubble, and it was on the verge of busting.

Also, Ole Miss had lost seven straight and was ranked 92nd. A home-court loss would’ve been costly.

The Aggies appeared in trouble throughout the game. They converted just five of 13 layups and hit only two of 11 shots from 3-point range in the first half. Consequently, they trailed 38-33 at the break.

Then in the second half, Ole Miss shot 69 percent (9 of 13) to open up a 63-50 lead with 11:46 to play.

The Aggies were struggling to contain Ole Miss forward Malik Dia and AJ Storr, who combined for 41 points.

However, A&M was able to stay in contention largely on the offensive glass. The Aggies had 16 offensive rebounds, which led to 18 second-chance points.

That was a big factor in the rally. That and a stubborn relief that they weren’t facing a lost cause.

“I think as a squad we knew we were going to win this game,” Clemence said. “It was tough, obviously. I thought we had it. I think it was just confidence from this week in practice and just doing what we do.”