Texas A&M rallied from an early deficit to beat Kentucky 96-85 on Tuesday night in College Station, Texas. The Aggies' bench outscored Kentucky's 57-39, led by Rylan Griffen's 21 points. Kentucky, now 19-11 overall, struggled after leading by 12 in the first half.
The game at Reed Arena saw Kentucky jump to a 30-18 lead with eight minutes left in the first half, shooting 60% from the field early on. However, Texas A&M responded with runs of 13-0 and 14-0, outscoring the Wildcats 27-3 in the final minutes of the half to take a 45-33 halftime advantage.
In the second half, Zach Clemence hit three 3-pointers early, and Rylan Griffen added 11 straight points for the Aggies, building a 73-52 lead midway through the period. Kentucky mounted a late rally, closing to 86-78 with 1:36 remaining on a 3-pointer by Trent Noah, but Texas A&M sealed the win with eight free throws in the final minute.
Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 24 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, while Mouhamed Dioubate added 19 points. For Texas A&M, Ruben Dominguez scored 17 points off the bench, Rashaun Agee had 14 points and eight rebounds, Pop Isaacs contributed 12 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, and Zach Clemence finished with 13 points. The Aggies' bench combined with Clemence and Griffen to make 12 of Texas A&M's 13 3-pointers.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope's team, which entered with a 19-10 record (10-6 SEC), has now lost four of its last six games. The loss highlights ongoing struggles with consistency and adjustments, despite recent wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Texas A&M improved to 20-10 overall (10-7 SEC) after dropping six of eight prior games.
Kentucky concludes its regular season Saturday at home against Florida. Texas A&M finishes at LSU the same day. The SEC Tournament is set for March 11-15 in Nashville.