3 Takeaways from Texas Longhorns Rivalry Loss to Texas A&M

The Texas Longhorns had been white-hot throughout the last week after back-to-back victories over teams ranked in the top 15, beginning with a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide on the road, followed by handing an undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores team their first loss of the season midweek at the Moody Center.

And the Longhorns took their momentum into the Lone Star Showdown on Saturday, looking to keep the momentum rolling. However, Texas was stopped in its tracks by the visiting Texas A&M Aggies, who traveled into Austin and left with a 74-70 victory.

The Longhorns will have to reset quickly, taking on a Kentucky Wildcats squad on the road in Lexington for a midweek matchup. Taking a closer look at the Longhorns' loss on Saturday night, here are three takeaways from Texas's rivalry loss.

Matas Vokietaitis Shut Down in the Second Half

Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) moves against Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) during the first half at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Sophomore big man Matas Vokietaitis had found his rhythm in conference play after a rough start in the first two games of SEC play, as the center had averaged 15 points per game in the Longhorns' last two games against Alabama and Vanderbilt.

And against the Aggies, Vokietaitis did manage to end the game with 14 points; however, he was only able to take four field goal attempts and made three of them while being efficient from the free throw line, making 8 of his 12 attempts.

However, the center was unable to be a factor in the second half for the Longhorns, with Vokietaitis managing to score just two points in the second half, with the Aggies defensive scheme limiting entry passes into Vokietaitis, taking him out of the game.

Texas Had No Answers for Rashaun Agee

Texas Longhorns Basketball Texas A&M Aggies — Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) dunks against Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) during the first half at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The Longhorns had to keep an eye out for Aggies forward Rashaun Agee, who was averaging 13.1 points per game, while shooting over 50 percent from the field and close to 80 percent from the free-throw line, and a team-high 8.6 rebounds.

And Agee proved to be a difference maker in the ballgame, tied with a game high 17 points while shooting six of 14 from the field and hitting five of his eight free throws, with a team-high 11 rebounds and three assists.

Aggies Second Half Three-Point Shooting Makes the Difference

While both teams struggled to shoot the ball in the first half, with the game tied at 29 points heading into halftime, the Aggies were able to find a rhythm from beyond the arc in the second half. Texas A&M shot just 20 percent from three in the first half and was a resounding 60 percent from three in the second half, with each three-pointer made feeling like a dagger.