No. 22 texas A&M ended its four-game losing streak with a significant victory on Tuesday, defeating No. 1 Auburn 83-72, marking their first win against a top-ranked team. This victory created an unforgettable final home game for eight A&M seniors who were celebrated on the court at Reed Arena prior to the match.
Even with this surprising defeat, Auburn’s position as the anticipated No. 1 overall seed in jerry Palm’s NCAA Tournament Bracketology remains unchanged. With a record of 16-3 in Quad 1 games and an overall record of 21-3 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, the Tigers now stand at 27-3 overall and have secured a solid lead over competitors like Duke, Houston, and Tennessee for the top spot in the Big Dance.
If Auburn suffers another loss to No. 7 Alabama during their regular season finale on Saturday ,they will still likely retain their status as projected No .1 seed for NCAA Tournament , according to Palm . though ,this outcome could open up opportunities for No .2 Duke to gain some votes for top position in AP poll afterAuburn was unanimously ranked No .1 on Monday
The Aggies (21 –9 ,10 –7 SEC ) harnessed senior night energy to jump out to an early12 –2 advantage and never fell behind while starting strong with numerous offensive rebounds.Auburn never cut its deficit down to single digits during the second half of what was an off night for National player of Year candidate Johni Broome
Auburn’s star center exited early in the first half after appearing to injure his shoulder, finishing with just eight points while struggling against A&M’s relentless rebounding effort.The Aggies entered ranked first nationally in offensive rebounds per game at15.9and grabbed24on Tuesday, converting them into an impressive29–11 advantage in second-chance points.
A trap Game Situation for Auburn
This matchup epitomized what it means to be caught in a trap game situation for Auburn.After clinching SEC title last Saturday,with their initial victory at Kentucky since1988,the Tigers faced quick turnaround against steadfast A&M squad eagerto end four-game losing streakand protect home turf.WiththeNo.one seed locked upforSEC tournamentandtheoverallNo.one seed within reachforNCAA tournament,theTigers struggled from start.
An additional possible reason behind this uncharacteristically poor performance could be that they have another big game ahead.The Tigers are setto hosttheir own senior dayatNeville ArenaagainstrivalAlabama.In that regard,this served both as letdowngame due tothe previousSaturday’s eventsandlookaheadgame consideringwhat lies aheadthis weekend.
The loss is not detrimental by any meansforAuburn.In fact,it may provide coachBrucePearlwith motivation neededto ignite his team.Thereare few better motivatorsin coaching profession,and suchan ugly defeatwill givePearlplentyof materialto workwithduring practiceas postseason approaches.
The Roller Coaster Ride of Texas A&M Sports
CertainlyTuesday’s triumph raises questions:was it merely luck or does it indicate that TexasA&M has returned strongerafterfour consecutive losses?Don’t be surprised ifit’s indeedthe latter.theaggieshave developed habitof bouncing back from tough stretchesunder sixth-year coachBuzzWilliams.
<p.last season,A&M lost five straight games throughout February but quickly rebounded with five consecutive victories securingtheir placeinNCAA tournament.Upon arrival there,theAggies pushedNo.one seededHoustoninto overtime during thesecond roundbefore ultimately falling ina thrilling contestduringfirstweekend.
This year,A&M began6–5losingagainst MurrayStateandWofford before rallying finishing15–3withinSEC.In2022,theAggieslosteightgames consecutivelyduringSECplaybut thenwonsevenstraightreachingSECTournamentfinal.AlthoughtheywereoverlookedbyNCAATournamentthatseason,reachedNITfinal instead.
The moralof thestoryis you cannever countoutTexasA&M underWilliams.TheAggieshave historyof recoveringfrompoor stretches leadingintoextendedwinningstreaks.Tuesday’svictorycould markbeginningoftheirlatestresurgence.
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