Texas A&M men’s basketball traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday, March 7, for a regular-season finale against LSU. After a much-needed 96-85 victory over Kentucky on March 3, the Aggies aimed to end Southeastern Conference play on a two-game win streak and prove their case for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Though it wasn’t the prettiest win for the Maroon and White, they got the job done in three overtimes to secure a 94-91 win over the Tigers. 

“We were playing for a lot today,” head coach Bucky McMillian said. “This time of year, everybody is fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament. I’m just happy that we got out of there with a win.”

For the second straight game, the Aggies searched for a spark, shifting their starting lineup to a mix of standard starters with bench heroes, such as junior guard Pop Isaacs and graduate student forward Zach Clemence. The unfamiliar initial group fell to a quick deficit, unable to regain the lead until late in the second half.

The Tigers started things off with an early 11-0 run, outscoring the Aggies from beyond the arc, despite only shooting 40% from three. Facing a deficit as high as 15 points in the first half, A&M spent the rest of the game playing catch-up.

Led by senior G Rylan Griffen with 13 first-half points, the Kansas transfer brought the Aggies back into contention before the game’s midway point, shrinking the deficit to as little as two. Grasping onto its 35-33 lead, LSU wasn’t going to let go of its momentum so quickly. With a 3-pointer from fifth-year senior F Marquel Sutton, the Tigers headed to the locker room with a 38-33 lead, unfazed by the Aggies’ late surge.

“I knew this would be a really tough game,” head coach Bucky McMillian said. “I think LSU played well. I’ve watched them play in these close games where their record could be totally different.”

With only 20 minutes left in conference play and both teams desperate for a win, neither A&M nor LSU wanted to end its season on a sour note. 

The pair of SEC foes went tit-for-tat in the second half with near-identical shooting from the field. The Aggies ended regulation with a field goal percentage of 43.8%, compared to the Tigers’ 44%. Although LSU held the lead for twice as long as A&M, the Aggies navigated through adversity to force five more minutes of play. 

Bonus basketball

In crunch time, A&M turned to someone that it relied on all season: graduate F Rashaun Agee. With a double-double in points and rebounds, the USC transfer did what he does best.

Tied at 79, the Fightin’ Farmers couldn’t get the Tigers off their tail, forcing double overtime.

Five minutes later, nothing changed as Bucky Ball aimed to stand the test of time. In the third overtime period and final five minutes of play, sophomore G Rubén Dominguez picked the perfect time to knock down his first bucket of the game.

After a failed last-second trey from senior G Max Mackinnon, A&M got the best of LSU to pull off the triple overtime victory. 

“I couldn’t have lived if it went to a fourth overtime,” McMillian said. “I would have just walked out of there. If they had made that three, LSU would have won by forfeit. I couldn’t have done it anymore.”

The Aggies’ finale victory pushed their conference record to 11-7, matching that of Buzz Williams’ 2024-2025 team. 

“We had a great team last year at A&M, even though I wasn’t here, and they fought through this league to eke out 11 tough wins,” McMillan said. “We came in with a bunch of new guys, no returners, and I really felt that it was a responsibility of this group to not allow the program to take a big step backwards. I thought it was very important that we carried it on for those who came before us.”

With the win over the Tigers, the Maroon and White clinched a first-round bye and will continue their postseason push as the 6-seed in the SEC Tournament. 

“I’m happy with where we’re headed going into Nashville,” McMillian said. “I think we’ll have a decent seed and look to make some noise there.”

A&M will face the winner of Oklahoma . South Carolina on Thursday, March 12, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m.