Texas A&M vs Kentucky basketball: Aggies outshot, rebounded against Wildcats

On By Littum

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated how many points Aggies guard Zhuric Phelps scored.

Texas A&M Men’s Basketball suffered its first losing streak of the season in a game that got away from them against Kentucky.

At Rupp Arena went no. 11 Texas A&M (13-4, 2-2 SEC) down 35-32 at halftime Tuesday, but ultimately suffered a double-digit loss, 81-69, to No. 9 Kentucky (14-3, 3-1).

Thanks to an early onslaught by the Wildcats, 11-2, to open the second half, the Aggies were unable to close the gap. A&M struggled offensively (23-for-59, 39% from the field) without leading scorer Wade Taylor IV available for the third straight game.

The Wildcats’ guard Jaxson Robinson led all scorers with 22 points, shooting 8-for-17 from the field while going 5-for-13 from beyond the 3-point line. Robinson is a former Aggie who spent his freshman season with the Texas A&M program before transferring to Arkansas, BYU and now Kentucky.

As a team, Kentucky outshot A&M, 24-for-52 (46.2%).

Rebounding, specifically on the defensive glass, told the story of the Aggies’ loss. The Wildcats tallied 40, with 28 of those on the defensive end. The Aggies finished with 31 total boards, with just 11 on the offensive end.

AGGIES: Texas A&M vs Kentucky basketball: Aggies trail Wildcats in hotly contested SEC matchup

Texas A&M Aggies guard Manny Obaseki (35) reacts after scoring a three-point field goal in the first half Jan. 14, 2025, against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington.Texas A&M Aggies guard Manny Obaseki (35) reacts after scoring a three-point field goal in the first half Jan. 14, 2025, against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington.

Texas A&M Aggies guard Manny Obaseki (35) reacts after scoring a three-point field goal in the first half Jan. 14, 2025, against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington.

Guard Zhuric Phelps continues to be the offensive force for A&M as they figure out life without star guard Taylor, who missed his third straight game and fourth of the season. Phelps finished the night with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting while struggling from beyond the arc, making just two of his nine 3-point attempts.

Along with Phelps, A&M forward Pharrel Payne continued to help, finishing 5-for-5 from the field, totaling 15 points, 13 of which came in the second half.

A&M entered the game ranked 11th in both USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll and that Associated Press Top 25. The Wildcats are ninth and eighth, respectively.

Next up for the Aggies is a home test against LSU on Saturday.

Reach Texas A&M Beat Reporter Tony Catalina via email at [email protected]. Follow the American statesman further Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all our best content with this amazing offer.

This article originally appeared on the Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M vs Kentucky game score: Aggies lose on road