Phelps' career night wills Taylor-less Aggies to improbable comeback

Zhuric Phelps turned on, Texas A&M forced turnovers, and the Aggies completed an improbable second-half turnaround.

Phelps, who scored 28 of his career-high 34 points in the second half, hit a step-back 3-pointer from the top of the key with 20 seconds left. That finished off an amazing rally from an 18-point deficit and lifted No. 10 A&M to an 80-78 Southeastern Conference basketball victory over No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday night in Norman, OK.

The Aggies (13-2, 2-0) denied two Sooner shots in the final seconds to notch their ninth consecutive victory.

“The game was just coming to me,” Phelps said postgame. “The ball was falling. I kept going. It was a team effort. My team believed in me. I was able to do that because of them.”

Phelps’ torrid streak was complemented by the A&M defensive effort, which forced 10 second-half turnovers, which were parlayed into 24 points. Overall, A&M scored 30 points off turnovers.

That helped overcome Oklahoma's equally torrid shooting. The Sooners (11-4, 0-2), led by Brycen Goodine, who scored 34 points off the bench, shot 54.3 percent from the field and 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from 3-point range.

“We’re very fortunate to sneak out of here,” A&M head coach Buzz Williams said. "It’s hard to overcome a team making 14 threes and shooting the percentage they did. If a team makes 14 threes and their 3-point percentage is better than their overall percentage, you should probably think you lost by at least 30."

In the early going, it appeared that may indeed be the case.

The Aggies were playing without injured leading scorer Wade Taylor IV, which was problematic in itself. But then they were ambushed by Goodine, who entered the game averaging 5.9 points.

Goodine hit 6-of-8 attempts behind the arc on the way to 21 first-half points, which then was nine more than his previous season-high.

However, Goodine only accounted for two-thirds of the Sooners’ 3-pointers in the half. They hit a whopping 56.3 percent (9-of-16).

Guard Duke Miles hit OU’s ninth 3-pointer with 2:36 remaining in the half to put A&M in a 38-24 hole.

The Aggies closed the half with a mini 6-1 run to remain in contention but still trailed 39-30 at the break.

OU stayed hot to start the second half and took a 51-33 lead on a 3-pointer by Jalon Moore with 17 minutes remaining.

At that point, it appeared a lost cause. But the Aggies never lost hope.

“Wade was out,” Phelps said. “We needed a guy to step up. My team just believed it in me, and we got a win.”

It wasn’t quite that easy. The Aggies mounted a charge, but OU still maintained a 70-59 advantage after a Moore dunk with 8:25 to play.

However, A&M forward Pharrel Payne, who had 10 points, answered Moore with a dunk of his own. That started a 12-0 A&M run, which was highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers and a layup from Phelps.

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN

With Wednesday night's victory, Texas A&M remains undefeated through the first two games of conference play and picked up its fifth road win of the season. 

Then, a Hayden Hefner steal led to a Solomon Washington break-away dunk to give A&M a 71-70 lead.

The Aggies eventually built a five-point lead. However, OU responded with a 6-0 run to take a 78-77 lead.

Oklahoma had a chance to add to the margin, but guard Jeremiah Fears was short on the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity.

Washington, who had 11 points and six boards, grabbed the rebound.

The Aggies headed down court and got the ball to Phelps. He faked a drive, which left an OU defender stumbling.

Phelps then calmly stepped back behind the arc and drilled the game-winning shot.

"Everything that we were trying, they were taking advantage of and having near-perfect success," Williams said. "But I do think the character of our guys and the relationships they have with one another ... I thought that they just hung around. I don't think they ever dropped their heads.

“They were very accountable to one another and to what we're trying to do. We're very fortunate to win."