A&M suffers gut-wrenching setback as Vanderbilt hits buzzer-beater

Press conference video courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics.

A gut-wrenching final shot appears to have put Texas A&M back on the bubble.

Vanderbilt guard Ezra Manjon dropped in a mid-lane shot at the buzzer to lift the Commodores over A&M, 74-73, on Tuesday night in Nashville.

The Quadrant 3 loss figures to compromise A&M’s NCAA Tournament resume. The Aggies entered the game at No. 37 in the all-important NET rankings but may fall significantly.

Vanderbilt was ranked 235th in the NET.

Despite a largely lackluster showing, particularly on defense, the Aggies were in position to escape with a victory when Tyrece “Boots” Radford hit two free throws with 13.2 seconds remaining for a 73-72 lead.

However, Manjon worked just inside the lane where he was stopped by A&M’s defense. He attempted a shot that was blocked from behind. But Manjon gathered the rebound and quickly lofted the game-winner over Andersson Garcia’s outstretched hand just before the buzzer sounded.

It was the 21st time the lead changed.

A&M (15-9, 6-5) was riding a three-game winning streak but hardly resembled the team that upset then-No. 6 Tennessee, 85-69, last Saturday.

Though A&M leads the nation in offensive rebounds, Vanderbilt (7-17, 2-9) held a 12-8 advantage on the offensive boards. The Commodores had 15 second-chance points to A&M’s 12.

Vandy also took a dozen more field goal attempts and scored nine points off 12 A&M turnovers.

That ended a streak of eight games in which A&M committed fewer than 10 turnovers.

“I thought they beat us from start to finish,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said. “We were way too volatile. We were not as consistent as we have to be. We were not good at the things we have to be good at.

“I thought we were going to be able to sneak out of here, but in many respects, I think (Vanderbilt) earned the win. We didn’t do enough long enough to be good enough to win on the road. It hurts my feelings to say it, but it’s the truth.

“I told our guys, in many respects, we got what we deserved.”

Almost from the outset there were ominous indications A&M was vulnerable.

The Aggies appeared lethargic most of the first half. They managed just six offensive rebounds — a pedestrian total for them. They also committed eight fouls in the first half.

Despite their struggles, the Aggies still managed to hold a 31-30 lead at the break.

Although trailing 24-21 at the final media timeout, the Aggies came on strong in the final 3:37.

That’s when Henry Coleman III converted a couple of free throws to start a 6-0 run. Wade Taylor IV followed with two more free throws and then hit a baseline floater. That was the first time the Aggies managed consecutive scores.


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With the loss, Texas A&M’s three-game winning streak came to an abrupt end.

Vanderbilt responded with a pair of 3-pointers. The second— by Paul Lewis with 1:02 left — staked the Commodores to a 30-29 lead.

But Taylor hit both ends of a one-and-one with 17 seconds remaining. The Aggies then forced a turnover on Vandy’s final possession to maintain their edge.

The nip-and-tuck affair continued in the second half. Neither team ever led by more than four points.

A&M held a 69-66 lead when Taylor, who led the Aggies with 18 points, drilled a 3-pointer with 3:53 left.

The Aggies did not manage another field goal. That drought enabled the Commodores to take a 72-69 lead on Manjon’s 3-pointer from the corner with 1:03 left.

Radford hit two free throws with 48 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 72-71.

The Aggies then got a big defensive stop, which led to Radford drawing a foul with just over 13 seconds showing.

At that point, A&M was perfect at the foul line in 15 attempts. Radford extended the streak to 17.

But A&M couldn’t get a clinching defensive stop, which was a problem throughout the second half.

Vanderbilt shot 50 percent (16-of-32) from the field in the second half.

It was the second time A&M lost at the buzzer in SEC play. The Aggies fell to Arkansas, 78-77, on a buzzer-beater.