Sooners experience 'Aggie fatigue' as A&M improves to 3-0 in SEC play

Game #16: Texas A&M 83, Oklahoma 76
Records: Texas A&M (13-3, 3-0), Oklahoma (11-5, 1-2)
Box Score

Southeastern Conference basketball opponents are getting tired of A&M.

They’re tired of the Aggies’ forcing turnovers. They’re tired of the Aggies making big shots. They’re tired of the Aggies pulling out close victories.

Mainly, they’re just tired.

Aggie fatigue seemed to be an issue on Saturday at Reed Arena as Texas A&M (13-3, 3-0) appeared to wear down Oklahoma (11-5, 1-2) in the final minutes to post an 83-76 victory.

It’s the Aggies' third straight SEC triumph and 11th win in 12 games.

As in previous SEC wins over LSU and Auburn, the up-tempo, relentless pressing style that is “Bucky Ball” seemingly took a toll on the visiting Sooners, while the Aggies made pivotal plays down the stretch to secure the win.

“I think we’re in good shape physically,” said A&M coach Bucky McMillan, the ‘Bucky Ball’ architect. “I feel like our guys are able to continue to play at a high level with effort late in the game right now. That obviously matters.

“Late in the game, we’ve got guys on the floor — hopefully, fresh — and they’re continuing to play attacking basketball. It’s hard to win when you’re playing not to lose. I think, late in the game, our guys have been playing to win.”

The Aggies certainly made the big plays late. In the last three minutes, they made two big shots, hit a couple of free throws and played strong defense to frustrate the Sooners.

The first big shot was from Rubén Dominguez, who took a cross-court pass from Rashuan Agee to hit a 3-pointer from the left corner that staked A&M to a 79-71 lead with 2:52 remaining.

Agee had escaped a trap to find Dominguez open.

“If me and Ruben see something and make eye contact, it’s going to happen,” said Agee, who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. “It’s just natural.”

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Rubén Dominguez connected four times from behind the 3-point arc to finish with 14 points.

OU coach Porter Moser, once an A&M assistant coach, seemed to think the play was super natural.

“(Agee) threw a pass from one corner out of a trap on a dime for that 3,” Moser said. “That was a big play because you’re kind of making a decision. Do let Agee go one-on-one, or do you trap?

“We’re like, he's hurt us one-on-one, so you trap. You’re hoping to have great trap defense, and he throws a bullet to the opposite corner, and the kid hit a great long bomb.”

That was the fourth 3-pointer for Dominguez, who — along with Rylan Griffen — scored 14 points.

Despite that big shot, Oklahoma came back and trailed just 79-76 with a minute to play.

But A&M looked to the 6-foot-8 Agee, who backed in on OU’s 6-foot-10 forward Mohamed Wague to hit a clinching layup with 38.2 seconds left.

“End of the game, I mean, ain’t many people going to be able to stop me in that spot,” Agee said. “Especially if they’re not double-teaming.

“The play before, they double-teamed, and my boy (Dominguez) knocked down an open 3.”

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Rashaun Agee recorded his seventh double-double of the season.

Pop Isaacs, who had 13 points, hit two free throws with 16.5 seconds left to complete the scoring.

Although those baskets were decisive, a strong argument could be made that A&M’s defense was the primary factor for the victory.

The Aggies forced 17 turnovers, which were parlayed into 18 points. More importantly, they frustrated OU’s shooters in the final 14 minutes.

Oklahoma guard Nijel Pack drilled his sixth trey with 13:59 remaining to give Oklahoma a 64-61 lead.

At that point, OU was shooting 52.3 percent (22 of 42) from the field and 57.1 percent (12 of 21) from behind the arc.

But OU managed to convert just four of 20 field goal attempts the remainder of the game. The Sooners, who hit 11 treys, misfired on their last 10 attempts from 3-point range.

Pack did not score again.

Moser admitted Aggie fatigue was a factor in Oklahoma’s 3-point shooting swoon.

“A bunch (of shots) were short,” he said. “When they’re short, that is fatigue. I thought their bench was deeper than ours. And I thought that just kind of wore us out, and it played out.”

McMillan didn’t disagree, but he acknowledged there were certainly other factors working for the Aggies.

“Our guys were pretty fresh in the game late, which was good,” McMillan said. “We tried to get the right matchups more instead of switching as much.

“Marcus (Hill) wanted to guard #9 (Pack). We kind of got the right matchups. Our players kind of took it personally to stop their guy.”

A&M opponents are getting tired of that.