In a game that found a place in the SEC Tournament's record books, 1-seed Texas A&M proved its worth with a 71-38 obliteration of LSU to earn a rematch with Kentucky in the final. The Aggies' bench outscored LSU's entire team in the Saturday victory.

Survive and advance is the goal, and survive and advance the Aggies did. Texas A&M's 72-66 victory against Florida in the SEC quarterfinals was driven by the usual suspects, but the emergence of another pair has big implications going forward.

It's been an unforgettable season at Texas A&M, and it's not over. The SEC Tournament's No. 1 seed awaits, followed by a shot at a run to the Final Four. How far can these Aggies go — and how far can the program take this year's momentum?

Perhaps, Texas A&M's return to form is complete. The Aggies furthered their winning streak on Saturday by doing what they had earlier in the season: getting an inferior opponent down and never letting off the gas. With two games left, the signs are encouraging.

Three things had to happen on Saturday for Texas A&M to regain a share of first place in the SEC: a defeat of Missouri and losses by South Carolina and Kentucky. The Aggies demolished the Tigers and regained control of their destiny after the results in Starkville and Nashville.

Losers of five straight after starting conference play 7-0, Texas A&M is in dire straights — but the glimmer of hope lies in returning to Reed Arena, where the Aggies have only lost once this season. To continue that trend, A&M must stop the bleeding against Ole Miss and Stefan Moody.

Facing a pivotal chance for a turnaround in Baton Rouge, Texas A&M shot better than LSU from the field, the charity stripe and behind the arc. Yet, the Aggies failed. The reason boils down to two simple statistics that must be reversed to save the season.

A forgettable loss at Vanderbilt is in Texas A&M's rear-view mirror; the next test lies directly ahead. On Saturday the Aggies welcome No. 25 South Carolina to Reed Arena — a place A&M hasn't lost all season — seeking an immediate turnaround.

Can a team win a game in which its two leading scorers combine to go 3-of-21 from the field? On Thursday, Texas A&M couldn't. A quick turnaround awaits in the form of South Carolina's visit to Reed Arena on Saturday, leaving little time to rectify the issues.

No Tyler Davis, no problem for Texas A&M, which learned a little more about itself in withstanding Missouri's best shot and running its record to 17-2 on Saturday. The Aggies will take their momentum to Fayetteville with a few teaching moments in mind.

Although he has not been on the Texas A&M basketball team for long compared to his upperclassmen teammates, freshman Admon Gilder knows the team's chemistry and ability to play together is what makes them successful.

What a national audience saw in Texas A&M's 71-57 defeat of LSU on Tuesday now has outsiders believing what the rest of the SEC had already been made aware of: the Aggies are the conference's most complete team, and it's time to set their ceiling even higher.

Facing a challenge from Ben Simmons and the second-place team in the SEC, Texas A&M found yet another way to assert its dominance. From their perfect counter to Johnny Jones' strategy to their depth, the Aggies left many asking, 'What will they do next?'

A visit from the nation's best freshman and a surging LSU squad had little impact on Texas A&M's momentum, which carried the Aggies on Tuesday to a ninth straight victory and a 6-0 conference record. Jalen Jones scored 20 points and Tyler Davis added 18 in the win.

For the first time all season, Texas A&M put it all together on the road — and the result was astonishing. In running Georgia off its own court, the Aggies revealed a balance and a mentality that will elevate their ceiling.

On the road, missing one of its best players, shooting awfully, Texas A&M managed to pull out a victory against Ben Howland and Mississippi State. In the end that's all that matters — but the takeaways will aid the Aggies greatly going forward.

Missing Danuel House (and most of its shots), Texas A&M struggled mightily during its trip to Mississippi State but pulled out a win to open SEC play 2-0. Four Aggies scored in double digits in Wednesday's 61-60 victory.

Saturday's demolition of Arkansas to open SEC play appeared to come with excessive ease ... and it wasn't even Texas A&M's best effort. Aside from a 1-0 conference record, the Aggies' takeaways included additional confidence in the post, maturity and support 11,000 strong.