OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas A&M men’s basketball was simply outmatched Saturday as its season ended at the hands of Houston, 88-57.
The 10th-seeded Aggies trailed the No. 2-seeded Cougars 46-28 at halftime after holding a lead for only two minutes and 50 seconds during the frame. They never regained that lead and finished the first half shooting 1-for-13 from the field. It wasn’t much better in the second half, where they shot just 34.8%.
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A&M was never able to bring the deficit below 20 in the second half, as the Cougars kept dominating on the glass and continued to prove why they’re one of the best teams in the country.
Houston guard Kingston Flemings (center) fights for a rebound against Texas A&M forward Jamie Vinson (right) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Oklahoma City, Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
RELATED: Our prediction, what you need to know about Texas A&M vs Houston
A&M was outrebounded 46-29 and struggled with fouls, getting called for 20 compared to Houston’s 16. The Aggies were crushed in the paint, 32-20 and in second-chance points, 18-8. A&M reserve guard Josh Holloway had a team-high 12 points. Forward Jamie Vinson paced the Aggies on the boards with six rebounds.
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For the Cougars, guard Emanuel Sharp led all scorers, finishing the game with 18 points.
The Cougars will head back home to the Lone Star State and face the winner of No. 3 Illinois and No. 11 VCU.
Final updates from the action:
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With just under four minutes remaining, it looks like the Aggies’ season will end in the Round of 32. Houston continues to assert their dominance, widening the lead to 25 at the final media timeout of the game.
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The Aggies continue to battle but continue to struggle against a superior Cougars squad, who has an answer for every punch A&M has thrown.
Simply put: A&M has been outclassed so far. Houston continues to shoot, rebound, and hustle better. Many expected this since the Aggies were heavy favorites, but a lot has to change quickly if the maroon and white want to keep their season alive.
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Coming out of the break, the struggles continued for the Aggies as the Cougars extended their lead to 23. A&M is shooting just 33% from the field this half, while Houston is maintaining a strong 50%.
Houston has started to pull ahead with a 10-0 run that forced an A&M timeout. The Aggies missed their last six shots and haven’t scored in over three minutes.
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The foul disparity is pretty large right now, with the Aggies getting called for eight while the Cougars have been called for four. One of A&M’s fouls was a technical, while Dominguez was called for a flagrant-one for an elbow to the head or neck area.
A 9-0 run helped lift the Cougars to their first lead of the game. Houston has been dominating the offensive glass, 10-2. Frustration early as the A&M bench got called for a technical due to some borderline over-the-back calls that went the Cougars way.
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The intensity is high early on, with both teams playing at a fast pace from end to end. The difference is that the Aggies are shooting 44% from the field, while the Cougars are at 33%.
G – Marcus Hill
G – Pop Isaacs
G – Rylan Griffen
G – Ruben Dominguez
F – Rashaun Agee
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G – Kingston Flemings
G – Milos Uzan
G – Emanuel Sharp
F – Joseph Tugler
C – Chris Cenac Jr.
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Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City
TV/radio: TNT, 1370 AM in Austin; 1150 AM, 93.7 FM in College Station.
Odds as of Saturday, per BetMGM
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Moneyline: Texas A&M +400, Houston -550
Spread: Texas A&M is a 10½ point underdog
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.