Rylan Griffen scored all 17 of his points in the second half and Texas A&M used a decisive stretch after halftime to beat Texas 74-70 on Saturday night.
AUSTIN, Texas — Rylan Griffen scored all 17 of his points in the second half and Texas A&M used a decisive stretch after halftime to beat Texas 74-70 on Saturday night in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown at the Moody Center.
The Aggies (14-4, 4-1 SEC) erased a tight first half with an early surge after the break and never trailed again, earning their first win over the Longhorns in Austin since 2002.
Neither team led by more than two possessions in the opening half, which featured seven lead changes. Texas A&M briefly pulled ahead late on an 11-2 run, but Texas (11-7, 2-3 SEC) tied the game at 29 on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the half.
Texas A&M seized control quickly in the second half. Marcus Hill opened with a steal that led to a four-point play by Griffen, sparking a 9-2 run that pushed the Aggies ahead 38-31 and forced an early Texas timeout. Rashaun Agee later capped the spurt with a three-point play to give A&M a double-digit lead.
The Aggies maintained at least a six-point cushion until the closing minutes. Jacari Lane’s 3-pointer with 3:02 remaining made it 73-62 before Texas closed within three on an eight-point run. Lane sealed the outcome by making a free throw with seven seconds left after being fouled.
Griffen shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc as Texas A&M went 6-of-10 from 3-point range and 15-of-25 from the field in the second half. Agee added 17 points and 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, while Rubén Dominguez scored 10 points.
Texas held a 37-30 rebounding edge, but the Aggies dominated inside, outscoring the Longhorns 34-22 in the paint.
Texas A&M returns to Reed Arena on Wednesday to host Mississippi State.