Wade Taylor-less A&M rallies, but can’t quite complete the comeback
The No. 10 Aggies dropped a narrow 94-88 decision to the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide in the first-ever men’s basketball top 10 matchup in Aggieland in front of a sellout crowd of 12,997 on Saturday at Reed Arena.
The loss ended a nine-game winning streak and dropped the Aggies’ season record to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, while the Tide improved to 14-2 and 3-0.
Playing without leading scorer Wade Taylor IV for the second straight game, the Aggies trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half but used a furious rally to get within three points twice after the final media timeout. Powering the comeback were Zhuric Phelps, Pharrel Payne and Hayden Hefner, who combined for 23 points down the stretch.
Phelps was the team’s leading scorer for a second straight game as he scored 24 points while pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out a trio of assists. Payne contributed a career-high 23 points and matched his season high with nine rebounds, including six off the offensive glass. He earned 15 free throw attempts and made 11 from the line. Henry Coleman III logged his 16th career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Hayden Hefner chipped in 16 points with five rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes of action.
The Aggies had big numbers on the glass with 46 total rebounds and 23 offensive boards, but were bested by the Crimson Tide with opponent season highs of 54 and 24. Texas A&M suffered just eight turnovers, while forcing 15 Tide miscues. The Aggies earned a season-high 48 free throw attempts and scored 28 points from the stripe.