Auburn basketball falls to Texas A&M in back-and-forth battle, swept by Aggies
What started as a basketball game between Auburn and Texas A&M on Tuesday in College Station, Texas, quickly turned into something that emulated a heavyweight bout.
It was a back-and-forth affair from the jump. The Tigers scored the first four points before the Aggies responded with a 12-3 run. Then Auburn (17-7, 7-4 SEC) countered with a right hook in the form of a 20-3 run. Then it was Texas A&M (17-7, 9-2) punching back with a 19-4 swing.
And once the score became tied with 8:37 remaining, the margin between the two sides wouldn't again exceed five points. Ultimately, it was the Aggies topping Auburn, 83-78, in a matchup that featured 17 lead changes and seven ties in Reed Arena.
Texas A&M has now won five of its last six meetings with the Tigers, including a win earlier this season that snapped Auburn's 28-game home winning streak and a victory that knocked the Tigers out of the SEC Tournament a year ago.
Wendell Green Jr. led Auburn with 20 points. Johni Broome had 18 and Allen Flanigan and Jaylin Williams each finished with 12. Zep Jasper, who made a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half, had six points. Wade Taylor IV, who had 15 points against Auburn earlier this season, led the Aggies with 22 points.
The Tigers shot 14 free throws to Texas A&M's 39.
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New lineup experiment
Coach Bruce Pearl gave a new lineup a try for the first time this season. With 9:54 left in the first half, Green checked into the game for K.D. Johnson. Already on the floor was freshman Tre Donaldson, making it two point guards in the lineup for the Tigers.
The first stretch that the dual-point-guard unit had lasted 1:30 and brought with it some intriguing optimism. Auburn went on a 7-0 run that featured two second-chance layups from Broome and a 3-pointer from Lior Berman.
But much like it was a game of runs, the funky lineup had mixed results. Texas A&M went on its own 7-0 run when Pearl went back to Donaldson and Green sharing the court, a stint that lasted 2:17 before halftime.
Up next
The Tigers return home to Neville Arena for their first matchup of the season with Alabama on Saturday (1 p.m. CT, ESPN2). The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 3 in both the AP Poll and the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball falls to Texas A&M in back-and-forth battle
