Aggies Fall to Cougars in OT Thriller in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team fought long and hard - even erasing a double-digit deficit to force the top-seed Houston Cougars into overtime, but faltered in the extra frame for a 100-95 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday night at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Aggies trailed by 13 in the fourth quarter and by 10 with just 1:24 left in regulation before clawing back with a 3-pointer by Andersson Garcia at the buzzer to send the matchup into overtime.

During the overtime period, Houston jumped out to a quick six-point lead and the last Aggies' rally came up short at the end.A&M falls to 21-15 for the season while the 32-4 Cougars enjoy a trip to Dallas for the Sweet Sixteen.

Aggies coach Buzz Williams says defense failed the team in the overtime period.

“Well, I think it was the same problem that we'd had the first 40 minutes: just fighting incredibly hard to try to get consecutive stops. I think we probably scored enough points. We just could not get enough stops, whether that was our first-shot defense and they got a long rebound or an offensive rebound. I do not know that there was much difference in the last five minutes than how I felt in the first 40 minutes.”

Texas A&M graduate guard Tyrece Radford led all Aggies with 27 points and a career-high 15 boards along with six assists. Fellow guard Wade Taylor IV scored 21 and pulled in a career-high seven rebounds. Junior Manny Obaseki scored 15 and Garcia poured in a career-high 12.

Radford ends his collegiate career with a pair of 20-point, 10-rebound double-doubles and scored over 20 points in all five SEC and NCAA postseason games to end the season. Taylor finishes his season tied with Joe Wilbert (1994-95) for the second-most points scored in a season with 687.

Overall, Williams is happy with his season and proud of his players.

“I think that it is so hard to live, to practice, to coach, to play and to be committed to something regardless of the result. And I think our group was steadfast, whether it was an injury, a suspension, hard schedule, winning streak, losing streak, on the bubble, not on the bubble. 

“I think regardless of the result, they had great belief and ownership in what we did. And in some respects, I actually think the 45-minute game tonight was just a microcosm of what you have seen from us, good and bad, throughout the year. And I just admire our guys so much."