Aggies’ SEC skid hits 4 as missed free throws sink comeback attempt

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Texas A&M’s Southeastern Conference slump continues, but the Aggies didn’t go down without a fight.

Anthony Collins, whose last- minute 3-pointer helped keep the 15th-ranked Aggies alive, missed a pair of free throws with 2.3 seconds left in a 63-62 loss to Alabama on Wednesday night.

The result was a third straight defeat for the once high-flying Aggies (18-6, 7-4). They’ve dropped four consecutive SEC games since a 7-0 league start, tumbling from a programbest No. 5 ranking.

“Our guys fought back,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “We came out in the second half and were much more aggressive offensively, but we’ve got some guys playing down instead of playing up, meaning they’re not playing with the confidence and ability that they have right now.”

The Crimson Tide (149, 5-6) beat their fourth ranked opponent in coach Avery Johnson’s debut season despite missing their final three shots. It’s the first time Alabama has beaten four Top 25 teams in a regular season since 2001-02.

Texas A&M had its chances after wiping out most of an 11-point deficit over the final 6:34, including the rare misses from the line for Collins.

Retin Obasohan led Alabama with 16 points, five assists and three steals.

Jalen Jones had 21 points and seven rebounds for Texas A&M.

TheTide’s third straight win didn’t come without some anxious moments for Johnson and the fans at Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama twice had to settle for 3-point attempts after working most of the shot clockdowninthe final minutes. Danuel House responded with two free throws after the first miss, and Collins pulled up for a quick3 with 53 seconds left after the second, cutting it to 63-62.

Then Obasohan missed an off-balance shot against Collins from just inside the line.

Collins got the ball back after a couple of passes and drove toward the basket, drawing the foul. He had made 28 of 30 free throws coming in, a 93.3 percent success rate, with his only misses three games ago against Iowa State.

“It just wasn’t meant to be,” Kennedy said. “He’s a really, really good freethrow shooter, and he missed them.”