NBA: Middle 13-minute surge carries Texas A&M over Kentucky

Texas A&M relied on big contributions from Rylan Griffen and Ruben Dominguez to secure a 96-85 victory over Kentucky on Tuesday in a crucial late-season Southeastern Conference matchup at College Station, Texas. Griffen scored 21 points while Dominguez added 17 as the Aggies dominated the middle 13 minutes of the game.

The Aggies (20-10, 10-7 SEC) led by 12 at halftime after outscoring Kentucky 27-2 in the final eight minutes of the first half. Texas A&M extended the lead to 21 with 14:49 remaining, highlighted by a 17-8 run capped by a dunk from Josh Holloway.

Kentucky fought back, cutting the deficit to 88-81 on three free throws by Trent Noah with 1:10 left. However, Pop Isaacs made five free throws in the final 57 seconds to push the lead back to double digits and help Texas A&M snap a two-game losing streak.

Both teams are all but assured of at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament, with the Aggies’ win likely improving their seeding. Rashaun Agee contributed 14 points, Zach Clemence added 13, and Isaacs finished with 12 for Texas A&M.

Kentucky’s Otega Oweh led all scorers with 24 points, while Mouhamed Dioubate added 19 for the Wildcats (19-11, 10-7), who saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.

The Wildcats grabbed an early 13-12 lead on a jumper by Dioubate, later extending it to 30-18 following a layup from Malachi Moreno that capped a 12-4 run. Texas A&M responded with 13 consecutive points to take a 31-30 lead after Dominguez hit a corner 3-pointer with 4:22 left in the first half. Following a basket by Denzel Aberdeen to regain a brief lead, the Aggies went on a 14-0 run to finish the half ahead 45-32, with Moreno making a free throw in the final seconds to trim the halftime gap to 45-33.

Dominguez led all scorers with 14 points before halftime, while Kentucky managed six points each from three players. The Wildcats struggled down the stretch, going 0-for-11 from the field in the final 4:03 of the half.

—Field Level Media/Reuters