NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A 3-point barrage and more clutch free-throwing shooting sent Texas A&M into the Southeastern Conference semifinals and, perhaps, into the NCAA Tournament.
Led by the combination of Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece “Boots” Radford, who combined for 55 points, the Aggies outshot the nation’s most accurate 3-point shooting team to post a 97-87 basketball victory over No. 2 seed Kentucky in the SEC postseason tournament at Bridgestone Arena on Friday night.
The Quadrant 1 victory might be sufficient for A&M (20-13) to secure a place in March Madness.
The Aggies move into the SEC semifinals for the third consecutive season. They face the winner of Friday night’s Florida-Alabama game on Saturday at about 2:30 p.m.
In posting its fifth straight win, A&M, which has struggled from 3-point range most of the season, hit 11 of 26 attempts from behind the arc.
The Aggies also scored 26 second-chance points after 13 offensive rebounds.
That accuracy and board work helped A&M take an 88-78 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
The Aggies converted nine of 10 free throws in the final 1:40 left to post their second victory of the season over Kentucky.
They beat the Wildcats (23-9) 97-92 in overtime at Reed Arena in January.
Taylor and Radford starred in that game. They did so again.
Taylor scored 32 points, while Radford had 23. Manny Obaseki chipped in 17, and Solomon Washington had 11.
Kentucky was led by guard Rob Dillingham with 27.
Though Kentucky leads the nation in 3-point percentage, the Aggies dared to challenge the Wildcats from the 3-point line from the outset.
Indeed, the Aggies outshot Kentucky from behind the arc in the first half. They hit eight of 16 treys compared to Kentucky’s six of 14.
A&M converted four treys in the first four minutes to race out to a 14-7 advantage.
They never lost the lead in the half. The margin swelled to 11 points, 45-34, when a Radford jumper capped an 8-0 with 3:04 left in the half.
Washington and Taylor hit 3-pointers in that run.
Kentucky took advantage of A&M's erratic free throw shooting to pull within 48-42 at the break.
The Aggies hit 17 of 20 free throws in the final two minutes of their 80-71 second-round victory over Ole Miss.
But in the final 2:44, A&M failed to settle for just one converted free throw on three trips to the foul line.
It didn’t matter.
With Radford scoring swooping layups over Kentucky’s 7-foot-2 Zvonimir “Big Z” Ivišić, Obaseki weaving inside to score and Taylor bombing from the perimeter, the Aggies continued their offensive onslaught.
When Taylor and Jace Carter hit back-to-back treys and Radford made a short jumper, the Aggies opened an 80-64 lead with 7:07 remaining.
Kentucky, though, stormed back. Dillingham scored eight points, and Justin Edwards got loose for a dunk to cut the margin to 82-74 with 4:34 left.
After an A&M timeout, Washington banked in a double-pump five-footer.
A&M maintained a 10-point, 88-78, cushion after Obaseki scored a driving layup over Kentucky’s Ivišić with 2:08 remaining.
The Aggies protected that lead at the foul line. Andersson Garcia hit four consecutive free throws. Taylor had two, and Obaseki hit three to clinch the win.
