Aggies fall to Alabama 71-70 on buzzer-beater after mounting comeback

ST. LOUIS — The difference between elation and deflation is about four seconds.

And an absence of ‘D.’

In about a four-second span an apparent gutsy Texas A&M victory unraveled into a gut-wrenching 71-70 loss to Alabama on Thursday in the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament at Scottrade Center.

T.J. Starks capped a late rally by drilling a deep three-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining to provide the Aggies a 70-69 lead. But then Starks’ nemesis, Alabama guard Collin Sexton, streaked relatively unchecked down the court for a buzzer-beating runner that left the Aggies pondering what they could have done differently.

“Obviously, we called a time-out to try to get organized, and we got organized,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “We wonder if we could have made Collin catch it a step further up the floor and maybe put two people on him. I would do differently, obviously knowing that he was able to get it off. But he made an awkward shot, and he made a heck of a shot.”

That shot provided the last two of Sexton’s game-high 27 points. Starks led A&M with 23, while Admon Gilder had 15. 

Justin Oster, TexAgs

Williams and Davis combined for just 13 points, but each recorded 10 rebounds. 

However, A&M was outscored 36-32 in the paint despite holding a 44-33 edge in rebounds. Tyler Davis and Robert Williams combined for just 13 points inside, though both had 10 boards. Williams also blocked seven shots.

The Aggies needed him to get eight.

Sexton angled across half court and found a soft spot in the Aggies defense that was careful not to foul — perhaps too careful — and launched the game-winning shot from about 10 feet. 

“I think we could have denied him and made somebody else shoot the shot,” said Admon Gilder. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to give him credit. He made a tough shot at crunch time.

“We knew they were in the double bonus. We didn’t want a cheap foul and wanted to keep everything in front of us. He’s a great player. He’s fast. He got down within the four seconds and got up a tough floater.”

That floater might have boosted Alabama (18-14) into the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide had been mired in a five-game losing streak and desperately needed a win to maintain NCAA hopes.

That shot might also mean the difference in A&M (20-12) being an eight or nine seed instead of a six seed in next week’s NCAA tournament. Regardless of A&M’s seed, the Aggies could make a long run through the NCAA Tournament if they play like they did in the final 12 minutes.

Or they could be in for a quick exit if they continue to make the key mistakes that prevented them from pulling off a remarkable comeback.

The game was an excellent summary of the Aggies’ bi-polar season. At times they were excellent. At other times they were inept.

Consequently, A&M fell behind 54-42 on a baseline jumper by Alabama’s Herbert Jones with 12:57 remaining.

But A&M began gradually cutting into the margin. Surprisingly, the Aggies’ rally was launched at the free throw line, where A&M has so frequently struggled.

However, the Aggies converted 10 of 12 free throws over the next eight minutes. They also forced Alabama to miss 11 consecutive shots. Many of those were forced by Robert Williams.

The Aggies capitalized and pulled within 63-62 on a Tonny Trochia-Morelos put-back with 4:52 left. But A&M committed turnovers on its next five possessions. That included a lazy pass that Donta Hall intercepted and turned into a dunk and a 65-62 lead.

Gilder tied it with a three-pointer, but Sexton had two consecutive runners. The second provided a 69-67 lead with 16.9 seconds to play.

Then Starks, who had missed five three-point attempts, was perfect on a shot from a step or two beyond the top-of-the-key. It was just a little too early.

“I thought we had it won for sure because I believe in our defense,” Starks said. "That was an incredible shot by Sexton.”

Despite the loss, Kennedy said he’s optimistic for March Madness.

“I thought we overcame some adversity today with the foul trouble in both halves,” he said. “It's something we can learn from, that the game's not over until the buzzer goes off. We did a good job of fighting back.”