DALLAS, Texas — Texas A&M men’s basketball led late but could not close out SMU on Sunday in Dallas, Texas, dropping a 94-88 preseason exhibition at Moody Coliseum.
PJ Haggerty, a Baytown, Texas, native who transferred in from Kansas State, paced the Aggies with 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting and went 8-of-10 at the foul line. He also had four assists and four steals. Jordan Pope, a guard from Oakley, Calif., who arrived from Texas, scored 15 in his first game in maroon and white, and Mackenzie Mgbako finished with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
A&M trailed by 10 late in the first half before an 11-2 surge pulled it within a point, and a five-point possession just before the break sent the Aggies to the locker room up 37-35.
The second half stayed tight until A&M ripped off a 14-2 run to lead 67-57 with 9:04 left. SMU answered, and fouls caught up with the Aggies down the stretch. The Mustangs took an 84-82 lead with 38 seconds to go and then made nine straight free throws in the last 26 seconds to put it away.
The Aggies forced 20 turnovers, came up with 16 steals, grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and won the battle in the paint 34-26. They made 32 of 40 free throws, and Pope hit 3 of 5 tries from beyond the arc.
The Mustangs held the edge where it counted most, at the line in the closing minute. For the Aggies, the exhibition was a chance to work in new pieces before games start to count, with a starting five of Pope, Jalen Shelley, Haggerty, Cade Phillips and Zach Clemence.
Texas A&M opens the regular season against Alabama State on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena in College Station.
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