Three Takeaways From Texas A&M's Controversial Win Over Vs. Auburn

The Texas A&M Aggies are still undefeated in conference play under head coach Bucky McMillan, but their second win didn't come without a little bit of excitement at the very end of the game against the Auburn Tigers Tuesday night.

After the Aggies came back from a 16-point deficit and went up by double-digits later in the second half, the Auburn Tigers came crawling back and at the buzzer, Auburn's KeShawn Murphy heaved up a half-court shot that was nothing but net, giving the Tigers what seemed to be a 91-90 victory.

However, after further review, Murphy's hand was still on the ball went the buzzer sounded, so the call was reversed, giving the Aggies a 90-88 win, and infuriating the Neville Arena crowd in Auburn.

The Notebook

Here are three takeaways from A&M's exhilarating second conference win of the season.

Texas A&M Aggies Basketball Auburn Tiger — Auburn Tigers guard Kevin Overton (1) goes up for a shot as Texas A&M Aggies center Federiko Federiko (33) and guard Ali Dibba (6) defend during the second half at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

Free Throws Could Have Avoided the Finish

As the new era of Texas A&M basketball begins to take shape under McMillan, some problems that the team faced under Buzz Williams seem to have come back to bite them again, even though nobody on the current A&M team played for Williams during his tenure in Aggieland.

Texas A&M made 13 of 20 free throws, and just two or three more made ones could have avoided the near-loss that the team suffered from Murphy's would-be miracle.

Well, that and some halfway adequate clock management.

"It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"

The person who originally said this quote was a baseball player, but it applies to all aspects of sports and life, especially A&M in Auburn on Tuesday.

With 13:29 left in the game, the Aggies were down 16 points, but one brilliant 31-6 run later, and the Maroon and White were up by near-double digits by the six-minute mark in the second half.

Auburn did eventually come back themselves, yes, which proves the point of that quote even more, but the sheer will and determination of Bucky McMillan's team in the second half shows that anything is possible, and to not let up until the clock is all zeroes.

A Team of Gary Paytons

Nicknamed "The Glove,"NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton was known for his defensive abilities and tendency to steal the ball from the opposing team.

And he might as well have been coaching the defense for the Aggies in Auburn.

The Aggies recorded 11 steals in the contest, including two during their majestic 31-6 run that occurred on back-to-back inbounds plays to shrink the Tigers' lead and put them in a perfect position to take their fifth consecutive win on the year.

The Aggies continue their campaign with a hosting of the Oklahoma Sooners at 2:30 PM this upcoming Saturday at Reed Arena.