Texas A&M Survives Ole Miss to Snap Four-Game Losing Streak

Just when you thought the Texas A&M Aggies' postseason fate was about to be sealed and that they were about to drop their fifth straight game, they found the will and found a way to get back in the win column.

Despite being down double digits with seven minutes left in the game, the Aggies were able to build momentum on offense and stop Ole Miss' shots on defense to erase the deficit and leave with an 80-77 win to put an end to their four-game losing streak.

The win boosts Texas A&M to 8-5 in conference play, while Ole Miss suffers their eighth straight defeat.

Clemence, Dominguez Lead Charge In Texas A&M's Comeback Win Over Ole Miss

Texas A&M Aggies guard Rubén Dominguez (9) drives as Ole Miss Rebels guard Ilias Kamardine (6) defends during the second half at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Aggies jumped out to a six-point lead midway through the first half of the game, before Ole Miss went on a run of their own to take a 20-18 lead, scoring seven straight points on three consecutive Texas A&M turnovers, and eventually ending up with a 38-33 lead going into halftime.

Marcus Hill kept the ball rolling for the Aggies in the first half, quickly reaching the 10-point mark and serving as just enough momentum for A&M to stay alive in the game.

Immediately out of the break is when the Rebels began pouring it on the Maroon and White, taking advantage of A&M's blunders to grow their lead into double digits, as high as 13 points, near the middle of the half and keeping it there until about 6:43 left in the game when Ruben Dominguez drilled a three-pointer to cut the lead to seven points.

And that was the catalyst that kickstarted the comeback for Texas A&M.

Texas A&M Aggies guard Pop Isaacs looks on during the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

After a dunk by Zach Clemence, showing that he was just fine after leaving the game for a brief moment in the first half, the two teams would trade shots until Dominguez was fouled while shooting a three-pointer, sinking all three free throws and cutting the Ole Miss lead to four.

Ole Miss' AJ Storr would drive in and put in a layup with 3:32 left, and that was all the scoring that the Rebs would put together for the remainder of the game.

After that, Dominguez would again drain a three-pointer, a necessary comeback for the Spaniard after some iffy recent shooting performances, to bring the Aggies within three points of the lead.

A turnaround jumper by Clemence and one lay-in by Rashaun Agee with a little over a minute left later, and the Aggies were back on track with what head coach Bucky McMillan admitted was a "must-win game."

Agee led the Aggies in all three major categories with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists during his first double-double since A&M's last win, which came January 31 against the Georgia Bulldogs.

McMillan didn't downplay the impact of the win, even given Ole Miss' sub-.500 record, giving props to the Rebels and applauded his own team for hanging around and putting forth the effort in what he called a "season-defining moment."

"I think we'll remember this game as one of the key wins in our season, like, that's why you watch sports, we don't win that game unless we just give an incredible effort," McMillan said afterwards. "And people are going to say, 'Well, Ole Miss doesn't have a great record.' I don't care. That don't mean nothing to me. Those guys played great tonight and they've been in every single game, right there to beat teams."

"So that was a great, great win, and a season-defining moment for our group."

McMillan and the Aggies will look to continue trending in the right direction when they travel up to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday night at 7:30 PM.