Rocking Reed: Looking back on past thrillers with the Cats in Aggieland

Expect a closely-contested classic basketball game when No. 12 Kentucky visits Texas A&M on Wednesday night.

History indicates the margin of victory will be a single digit. There is a more than an average chance that the game will go to overtime. The winner is almost a coin flip.

Texas A&M-Kentucky won’t make a list of college basketball’s greatest rivalries, but clashes at Reed Arena have often been nail-biting thrillers.

Texas A&M Athletics

Elston Turner erupted for 40 points vs. Kentucky in 2013.

Three games have gone to overtime. One went to double overtime. Only once has the margin of victory been double digits. Kentucky has won three times. A&M has won twice.

A&M obviously faces a huge task. The Wildcats are ranked No. 12, while the Aggies are unranked.

But rankings don’t matter at Reed Arena. Kentucky has been ranked and A&M has not in each of the games played in College Station.

Texas A&M-Kentucky Reed Results

Kentucky 72, Texas A&M 68 (OT), Feb. 2, 2013: Three weeks after Elston Turner scorched Kentucky for 40 points in an 83-71 upset in Lexington, the Aggies came tantalizingly close to pulling off an improbable sweep. Kentucky’s Julius Mays hit two free throws with 15 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Wildcats a 71-68 lead. Turner missed a 3-pointer for the tie with five seconds left. Mays then added another free throw to clinch the win.

Kentucky 70, Texas A&M 64 (2 OT), Jan. 10, 2015: Playing without injured leading scorer Jalen Jones, A&M again came close to upsetting No. 1 Kentucky. The Aggies forced overtime on two free throws by Danuel House. They missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer of the first overtime. Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis a deep 3-pointer late in the second overtime, and Kentucky converted four consecutive free throws in the final minute to hold off the Aggies. House scored 25 points, but A&M hit just 53.3 percent (16 of 30) at the free-throw line.

Texas A&M 79, Kentucky 77 (OT), Feb. 20, 2016: Tyler Davis scored off an offensive rebound just before time expired to lift the Aggies in yet another overtime contest. The victory helped ensure the Aggies would share the SEC championship with the Wildcats. Danuel House missed a jumper with time running out, but Tyler Davis got the rebound and scored a put-back layup just before the buzzer. Jalen Jones led the Aggies with 24 points. Davis had 15, and Alex Caruso had 10. Three weeks later, Kentucky won a rematch in the SEC Tournament championship game in Nashville. That game also went to overtime.

Kentucky 71, Texas A&M 63, March 4, 2017: A&M started hot and raced to an early 19-4 lead but could not hold off the SEC champion Wildcats. Kentucky rallied to take a 32-28 halftime advantage and held off the Aggies in the second half. Guard De’Aaron Fox led Kentucky with 19 points. Admon Gilder had 22 points, and Robert Williams scored 20 for A&M.

Texas A&M 86, Kentucky 74, Feb. 10, 2018: The Aggies converted 11 of their first 16 shots in the second half — including four treys — to take a 52-36 lead. The margin grew as high as 23 points as A&M coasted to the victory. All five A&M players scored in double figures. T.J. Starks led the way with 17, while D.J. Hogg had 16. Admon Gilder scored 14, and Robert Williams and Tyler Davis had 12 each.