Just 25 days ago, the Texas A&M basketball team was 0-5 in SEC play after going 11-1 in nonconference play. The Aggies were missing several key players for multiple games, and NCAA Tournament chances were dwindling. Now, after knocking off the No. 8 Auburn Tigers on the road, the Aggies find themselves at 5-6 in SEC play, having won five of their last six in conference.
The Aggies confidently went into Auburn after two straight blowouts of SEC opponents, and earned a hard fought 81-80 win over the Tigers. A&M is now 16-8 (5-6 SEC) on the year, while just the third loss on the season for Auburn drops the Tigers to 21-3 (9-2 SEC).
The game was tight in the beginning, as it was tied up at 25 with 7:43 left, before the Aggies broke away to a double-digit 46-36 lead at halftime. A&M stormed out of the gates in the second half, going on a quick 7-0 run to take a 53-36 lead before Auburn mounted a comeback. The Tigers would then go on a 33-14 run to take a 69-67 lead, their first lead since 11:05 left in the first half.
The two teams traded punches for the rest of the half, until A&M began to take control with an 80-74 lead with 2:25 left. Auburn would quickly go on a 6-0 run before Aggie senior guard Duane Wilson was fouled with two seconds left. Wilson would hit one of two free throws before Auburn narrowly missed a deep buzzer beater for the win. 
A&M was led by freshman guard TJ Starks, sophomore forward Robert Williams, and junior center Tyler Davis. Starks racked up a career high 23 points on 8-12 shooting, while Williams scored 16 points on 8-9 shooting, and grabbed seven rebounds, and Davis added 15 points and eight rebounds. 
Auburn lost their leading scorer, junior guard Bryce Brown, to a shoulder injury in the first half, which forced other Tiger players to step up and lead the comeback. They were led by sophomore guard Mustapha Heron, sophomore guard Jared Harper, and junior forward Desean Murray. Heron led all scorers with 28 points, while adding four rebounds, Harper scored 13 and had eight assists, while Murray scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. 
The Aggies will be back in action on Saturday as they welcome the No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats to Reed Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.