Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia (11) is fouled by Auburn forward Johni Broome on a rebound during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Auburn, Ala.. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Texas A&M upsets Auburn 79-63

Rafael De Los Santos January 26, 2023 Basketball, College Basketball, NCAA, SEC 898 Views

After a solid start to the new campaign, it was time for the Texas A&M Aggies to visit Auburn’s Neville Arena, also known as “The Jungle.” Two halves of tough ball later meant an Aggies win over No. 15 Auburn 79-63 on Wednesday night, ending the nation’s longest active home winning streak at 28 games.

Texas A&M leapfrogged Auburn in the SEC standings as they improved to 14-6 (6-1 SEC), while the Tigers fell to 16-4 (6-2 SEC).

A Streak Snapped

The moment the game clock reached zero, Neville Arena experienced a startled hush for the first time in more than 700 days.

With 2:36 remaining in the game, the crowd’s enthusiasm started to dwindle. There was no celebration in front of The Jungle, and the Plains felt strangely empty. Instantaneously, Auburn’s 28-game home winning streak—at the time, the longest active stretch in the country—was over.

Texas A&M Dual Wield

How about a classic Texan two-man performance to spur the Aggies to a huge road win? Tyrece Radford made that statement for the Aggies on Wednesday night. The senior finished the night having scored 52 total points in his last two games and proved the go-to leader at the point alongside Wade Taylor IV. Taylor IV’s  15 points complimented Radford’s 30 points and nine rebounds in a concoction good enough for one of the biggest upsets of the season.

For the Aggies, Taylor IV was 6-of-9 from the field in the first half, making all three of his 3-point attempts. Texas A&M had only hit six 3-pointers in its previous two games combined, but within the first 14 minutes, it matched that total and finished 7 of 19 from long range.

The Big Picture

The bottom line for A&M lies in a gigantic victory from an NCAA Tournament perspective, not only ending the longest home winning streak since early Feb. 23rd, 2021, but earning a much-needed Quad 1 win that will surely bump the Aggies up in future tournament projections.

The end of the Tigers’ win streak came with a familiar problem: defending high-scoring guards. The Aggies continue to impact games in the SEC with the keys to their game revolving around rebounding, elite interior defense and smart shot selection.

Up Next: Texas A&M will return home to face Vanderbilt inside Reed Arena on Saturday.

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About Rafael De Los Santos

Junior studying Journalism - Sports & Media at the University of Florida

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