Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
Aggies Drop Overtime Thriller to Cougars in NCAA Second Round
Mar 24, 2024 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Texas A&M men's basketball team erased a double-digit deficit to force overtime but dropped a hard-fought 100-95 decision to the top-seeded Houston Cougars to end its 2023-24 season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at FedExForum.
Down by as many as 13 late in the second half and 10 points with 1:24 left in regulation, the resilient Aggies roared back and battled to make a one-possession game on sophomore Solomon Washington's second-chance layup with :44 seconds left. A defensive stop gave the Aggies one last chance with 1.2 seconds left and senior Andersson Garcia connected on a straight-away 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
Once in overtime, the Cougars jumped to a quick advantage with a 3-pointer and were ahead by six with 2:27 remaining but the Aggies rallied again and got within a possesion twice before succumbing.
The Aggies fell to 21-15 for the season, while the Cougars improved to 32-4 and head to the Sweet Sixteen in Dallas.
Graduate guard Tyrece Radford was heroic in defeat, tallying a huge double-double with 27 points and a career-high 15 rebounds while dishing out six assists. Other Aggies in double figures were junior Wade Taylor IV with 21 points and a career-high seven rebounds, junior Manny Obaseki with 15 and Garcia with a season-high 12.
Radford closed out his career with a pair of 20-point/10-rebound double-doubles. With 21 points, Taylor recorded over 20 points in all five of the SEC and NCAA postseason appearances this season. Taylor finished 2023-24 tied for second in points scored in a season at Texas A&M with 687, matching Joe Wilbert (1994-95).
With five Aggies reeling in five or more rebounds, Texas A&M pulled down 49 rebounds, including 26 offensive rebounds. Texas A&M earned 45 free throws and connected on 29 freebies for the game.
The Cougars took a five-point advantage into halftime after the two teams traded blows with 11 first-half lead changes. Radford and Obaseki combined to score 19 of the Aggies' 38 points, with Radford leading the way with 10 along with his nine rebounds.
Down by as many as 13 late in the second half and 10 points with 1:24 left in regulation, the resilient Aggies roared back and battled to make a one-possession game on sophomore Solomon Washington's second-chance layup with :44 seconds left. A defensive stop gave the Aggies one last chance with 1.2 seconds left and senior Andersson Garcia connected on a straight-away 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
Once in overtime, the Cougars jumped to a quick advantage with a 3-pointer and were ahead by six with 2:27 remaining but the Aggies rallied again and got within a possesion twice before succumbing.
The Aggies fell to 21-15 for the season, while the Cougars improved to 32-4 and head to the Sweet Sixteen in Dallas.
Graduate guard Tyrece Radford was heroic in defeat, tallying a huge double-double with 27 points and a career-high 15 rebounds while dishing out six assists. Other Aggies in double figures were junior Wade Taylor IV with 21 points and a career-high seven rebounds, junior Manny Obaseki with 15 and Garcia with a season-high 12.
Radford closed out his career with a pair of 20-point/10-rebound double-doubles. With 21 points, Taylor recorded over 20 points in all five of the SEC and NCAA postseason appearances this season. Taylor finished 2023-24 tied for second in points scored in a season at Texas A&M with 687, matching Joe Wilbert (1994-95).
With five Aggies reeling in five or more rebounds, Texas A&M pulled down 49 rebounds, including 26 offensive rebounds. Texas A&M earned 45 free throws and connected on 29 freebies for the game.
The Cougars took a five-point advantage into halftime after the two teams traded blows with 11 first-half lead changes. Radford and Obaseki combined to score 19 of the Aggies' 38 points, with Radford leading the way with 10 along with his nine rebounds.
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