COLUMBIA, Mo. — In a thrilling finish, Wade Taylor IV sank a crucial 3-pointer with just 2.1 seconds left on the clock, propelling No. 10 Texas A&M to a 67-64 victory over No. 15 Missouri on Saturday.
Pharrel Payne was instrumental in the Aggies’ success, leading the score with 20 points, while Taylor added 15. Henry Coleman III made a significant impact on the boards, finishing with a career-high 16 rebounds. This win improved Texas A&M’s record to 18-5 overall and 7-3 in the Southeastern Conference, placing them in a three-way tie with Florida and Missouri for the third spot in the SEC standings.
Leading the Tigers was Tamar Bates, who scored 16 points, followed by Mark Mitchell with 14 points and Tamar Bates contributing 12. Missouri fell to 18-5 and 6-4 in the SEC, marking their first home loss of the season.
Taylor’s decisive three-pointer came after Andersson Garcia had tied the game at 64 by making one of two free throws with 46 seconds on the clock. The Aggies started strong in the game, opening with a commanding 12-0 lead before Bates hit a corner 3-pointer, allowing Missouri to tally their first points 5:40 into the first half. For the majority of the contest, Texas A&M maintained control and led for the first 31 minutes and 5 seconds.
Key observations from the game include Texas A&M’s dominance in the paint during the first half, where they scored 24 of their 38 points inside and held a rebounding advantage of 19-12. However, the tide turned in the second half, as the Aggies struggled, being outrebounded 20-15 by the Tigers.
Missouri’s performance saw a notable boost from freshman Marcus Allen, who, after not playing in the first half, grabbed six rebounds after the break. Despite his efforts, the team was stifled offensively by Texas A&M, managing fewer than 70 points for only the third time this season.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when, just after Taylor’s 3-pointer with 14:50 left in the second half, the Tigers erupted with a 12-point scoring spurt as part of a 15-2 run. Allen’s basket allowed Missouri to take a 51-49 lead with 8:55 remaining, and a subsequent 3-pointer by Bates extended their lead to 56-51 with 7:18 left.
A notable statistic revealed that Texas A&M has a 9-4 record in games decided by one possession at the final media timeout this season.
Looking ahead, Texas A&M will host Georgia on Tuesday night, while Missouri is set to welcome Oklahoma on Wednesday.