Self-inflicting wounds kept Texas A&M from completing a late rally on the road Saturday night, as the Aggies (11-6, 0-5 SEC) dropped their fifth-straight game with a 75-62 loss to No. 24 Tennessee.
Pulling within six at 65-59 with 3:41 to go, there was a glimmer of hope for the Aggies. The Vols silenced any chance of a comeback though with a 10-1 run to pull ahead by 15, which put the game on ice.
Most of Tennessee’s points down the stretch came from free throws, as the Vols were 12-of-12 from the line in the final nine minutes of the game, and 20-of-24 overall.
While it protected the ball better in the second half, turnovers tantalized A&M all night, as the Aggies committed 17 turnovers that Tennessee transitioned into 22 points.
Ball movement was vital for the Vols, with 16 assists on 25 made field goals. Eight different players scored for Tennessee with everyone recording at least four points.
Tennessee also controlled the paint, out-rebounding the Aggies 38-29, posting 14 offensive boards. A&M big men Tyler Davis and Robert Williams combined for just 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
Frustrating for the Aggies was the fact that A&M shot better than Tennessee 44 to 41 percent, but the Aggies’ miscues offset the Vols poor shooting.
For the first time in a month, the Aggies had its entire roster available to play. But the latest player to return – guard Duane Wilson – was not that impactful, only scoring six points in 23 minutes.
Guard Admon Gilder played well again in his second game back from a knee injury, leading the team with 16 points as the junior went 35 minutes for the second-straight contest.
A&M returns to the court on Tuesday as the Aggies host Ole Miss with tip-off slated for 8 p.m.