COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)— Bryce Brown scored all but two of his 22 points in the first half and No. 14 Auburn routed Texas A&M 85-66 on Wednesday night.
The Tigers (13-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) won on the road for the first time in league play this season. They dominated the Aggies (7-8, 1-3) from the start and never looked back.
Brown scored 18 consecutive points for the Tigers — and outscored the Aggies 18-10 by himself during that span — late in the first half to stake Auburn to a double-digit lead it didn’t relinquish. Brown began the stretch with a three-point play after he was fouled in the lane on a layup, and his next 15 points came on 3-point shots.
Jared Harper had 17 points, six assists, three steals and three rebounds for Auburn. Anfernee McLemore added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench, and Chuma Okeke had 10 points and seven rebounds. Austin Wiley grabbed 12 boards.
Auburn overwhelmed Texas A&M in second-chance points (20-8), points off turnovers (18-10), offensive rebounds (20-7) and bench points (27-5).
Savion Flagg and Wendell Mitchell each had 22 points to lead the Aggies.
Texas A&M Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 14 Auburn 85, Texas A&M 66
Reed Arena (College Station, Texas)
ABOUT THE GAME
- The Texas A&M men’s basketball team now sits at 7-8 on the season, 1-3 in SEC play after falling to Auburn Wednesday night.
- The Aggies struggled to settle in, plagued by turnovers in the opening minutes.
- A&M kept it close for much of the first half, until the Tigers used a 14-3 run to take the difference from two possessions to double figures.
- The Aggies scored the first seven points of the second half to cut it to nine points, but another big Auburn run created a lead too big to overcome.
TEAM NOTES
- A&M saw two players score 20 points in the same game for the third time this season and the second time in league play (Arkansas).
- The Aggies stuck with the same starting lineup of Jay Jay Chandler, Wendell Mitchell, TJ Starks, Savion Flagg, and Christian Mekowulu for the third time this season (1-2).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Sophomore Savion Flagg had a strong first half with 13 points in the opening 20 minutes. He recorded his fourth 20-point game of the season, knocking down a career-high four threes to help him finish with 22 points.
- Junior Wendell Mitchell scored in double figures for the fourth time in the last five games, also putting up 22 points, going 9-for-10 from the free throw line.
- Junior Josh Nebo blocked four shots in the game, making it back-to-back games with the total.
- Billy Kennedy is now 144-106 in his eight-year tenure at Texas A&M and 355-285 in his 21 seasons as a head coach.
UP NEXT
The Aggies remain at home through the weekend to host Missouri on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy
Aggie players Savion Flagg and Wendell Mitchell
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl
Auburn guard Bryce Brown