Texas A&M Men’s Basketball Falls to SMU in Preseason Exhibition

WTAW 1620 Aggie Basketball

News release from Texas A&M Athletics:  

The Texas A&M men’s basketball team was edged out by SMU in the closing minute, falling 94-88 in a preseason exhibition at Moody Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

PJ Haggerty led the way for the Aggies with 28 points, shooting 10-for-15 (66.7%) from the field and 8-for-10 (80%) from the free-throw line. Jordan Pope added 15 points in the game, while Mackenzie Mgbako grabbed a team-best eight rebounds to go with 12 points.

It was a back-and-forth game to start the second half as neither team led by more than two possessions nearing the midway point in the period. The Aggies put together a big 14-2 run to go up 10, 67-57, with 9:04 to play but SMU responded with six quick points to cut it to a four-point game.

Fouls plagued the Aggies throughout the game and four straight free throws allowed the Mustangs to go up 84-82 with 38 seconds on the clock. A late 3-pointer from Pope got it back to a five-point game, but nine straight free throws in the final 26 seconds from SMU sealed the game.

Both teams got out to a slow start in the game with neither in double figures by the first media timeout. Down 10 with 3:39 remaining the first half, the Aggies used an 11-2 run to get within one, 33-32. A five-point play to close the half gave the Maroon & White a 37-35 advantage at the break after Pope was fouled on a 3-point attempt and Haggerty sank a pair of free throws after an SMU technical foul.

UP NEXT
Texas A&M begins the regular season Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Reed Areana, taking on Alabama State at 7 p.m.

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