No. 13 Texas A&M (15-4, 4-2 SEC) took a huge step forward on Wednesday night, as the Aggies, through massive late-game adversity, defeated No. 16 Ole Miss 63-62 after the Aggies outscored the home team 11-2, including the go-ahead 3-pointer from senior guard Manny Obaseki.
In a match where star guards Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps managed only 8 out of 31 shooting from the field, and the team recorded 20 turnovers, A&M’s defense performed well, providing the offense with a chance to either clinch a victory or force the game into overtime.
Phelps, who was dealing with illness-based symptoms throughout the game, took over late in the final 30 seconds, scoring consecutive jumpers before finding Obaseki on a perfect pass with 14 seconds left, as the Aggies took their first and final lead in one of the best comebacks in program history.
Following the victory, Texas A&M holds a 4-2 conference record, tying for third place in the SEC alongside No. 22 Missouri and No. 5 Florida. The most notable change, however, is in the critical NET rankings, where they jumped four spots to reach No. 14.
In terms of NCAA Tournament seeding, Texas A&M boasts a combined record of 10-4 in Quad 1 and Quad 2, which features six Quad 1 wins and three notable Quad 1A victories (road wins). This places their overall record and Quad 1 position tied for third in the nation.
Under coach Buzz Williams’ this is the highest NET ranking for the Aggies during SEC play.
Texas A&M will stay on the road when they travel to Austin to face Texas on Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN2.
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