Texas pulled away late to defeat Texas A&M 76-70 on Saturday afternoon in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown at Reed Arena.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas pulled away late to defeat Texas A&M 76-70 on Saturday afternoon in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown at Reed Arena.
Rashaun Agee scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Aggies (19-10, 9-7 Southeastern Conference). Marcus Hill added 17 points and eight boards, and Pop Isaacs finished with 14 points and four assists.
Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC) raced to a 10-3 lead in the opening four minutes and maintained control through the midpoint of the first half. After a two-minute scoring drought, Hill knocked down a pair of free throws to spark a turnaround for Texas A&M. Agee followed with a 3-pointer to ignite an 11-0 run, and Hill capped a 13-2 surge with a putback to give the Aggies a 26-22 advantage with 4:54 remaining in the half.
Both teams struggled offensively down the stretch of the first period, but Texas A&M carried a 30-29 lead into the break. Agee had 14 points and six rebounds at halftime, while Hill contributed nine points and four boards.
The game remained tight early in the second half, with neither team leading by more than one possession. The Longhorns put together a 7-0 run to take a 44-36 lead with 13:33 remaining. Hill answered by scoring on three consecutive possessions to trim the deficit to four with 11:56 left.
Texas A&M closed within two points at 55-53 with 6:09 to play after Isaacs hit a 3-pointer and Agee added a dunk. Texas responded with a late surge, extending its lead to double digits in the final minute to secure the victory.
Texas A&M returns to action Tuesday at home against the Kentucky Wildcats in a 6 p.m. matchup.