“Men’s Basketball Faces Tough Defeat: 80-60 Loss Against Ranked Texas A&M”

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Graduate guard Tramon Mark achieved a team-high 14 points, but Texas (11-3, 0-1 SEC) suffered an 80-60 defeat at No. 13/12 Texas A&M (12-2, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday evening at Reed Arena. This match marked the Longhorns’ first official Southeastern Conference game, also representing the first on-campus encounter between the two adversaries since Texas triumphed 70-68 in College Station on February 6, 2012.

Mark made 4-of-9 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, while contributing two assists in 22 minutes. Senior Arthur Kaluma posted 13 points (4-8 FG, 4-4 FT) and gathered seven rebounds in 31 minutes, while junior Jordan Pope scored 12 points (3-6 threes) in 27 minutes. Freshman Tre Johnson recorded 11 points (7-7 FT), two assists, and a career-best two blocked shots in 33 minutes, and graduate Kadin Shedrick pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in 27 minutes.

The game was level at 37-37 at halftime, and the Longhorns managed to keep it close, trailing by just five points (57-52) before a late surge by the Aggies in the final eight minutes secured their win.

Texas A&M took an early 4-0 lead following a Solomon Washington layup at the 18:05 mark, but the Longhorns responded with a 10-2 run in the next three-and-a-half minutes to take a 10-6 lead after a jumper by Johnson at 14:38. The Aggies bounced back with a 5-0 run to reclaim an 11-10 lead following a duo of Pharrel Payne free throws at the 13:30 mark. Texas then went on an 11-2 run, establishing a 21-13 lead after a Mark three-pointer at 10:41.

Texas A&M responded with a 10-3 spurt over the next two-and-a-half minutes, narrowing the gap to 24-23 after two Washington free throws at the 8:00 mark. A Jayson Kent three-pointer pushed the Texas lead to 32-26 with 6:54 remaining, but the Aggies exploded with 10 consecutive points in the next four minutes, grabbing a 36-32 edge after an Andersson Garcia layup at the 2:43 mark. The Longhorns finished the half with a 5-1 run, equalizing at 37-37 at the break.

The Aggies began the second half with a 15-2 run, extending their lead to 52-39 after two Manny Obaseki free throws at the 14:38 mark. Texas A&M maintained a 56-43 advantage after a Zhuric Phelps layup with 11:42 to go, until Texas launched a 9-1 run in the next four minutes, cutting the deficit to 57-52 thanks to two Mark free throws at 7:48.

Texas A&M retaliated with a 6-0 run in the following minute-and-a-half, widening its lead to 63-52 after a Payne layup at 6:06. A Pope three-pointer brought the deficit to 63-55 at the 5:47 mark, but that would be as close as the Longhorns could manage for the rest of the game.

Texas next competes against No. 2/2 Auburn at home on Tuesday, January 7. The match is set to start at 8 p.m. Central at Moody Center, and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Texas Basketball Postgame Highlights

#13/12 Texas A&M 80, Texas 60

January 4, 2025

Reed Arena (College Station, Texas)

Attendance: 12,236

Team Highlights

• Saturday’s game represented the Longhorns’ inaugural SEC matchup. Texas had previously competed in the Big 12 Conference for the last 28 seasons (1996-97 through 2023-24).
• This was the first on-campus confrontation between these rivals since February 6, 2012, when Texas emerged victorious 70-68 in College Station.
• Texas’s record in the all-time series against the Aggies now stands at 138-87.
• Despite this defeat, the Longhorns have won six of the last eight meetings and 43 of the last 54 contests dating back to the 1989-90 season.
• Texas achieved an impressive 85.0 percent (17-20) success rate from the free throw line throughout the game.

• The Longhorns held a 16-5 edge in fast-break points during the game, including a remarkable 12-0 lead in the first half.

Tre Johnson

• Scored double figures (11 points) for the 11th time in his career (12 games)
• Set his career-high for blocked shots (2)

Arthur Kaluma

• Reached double digits in scoring (13 points) for the 12th time this season (14 games) and the 80th occasion in his career (115 games)

Tramon Mark

• Achieved double digits in scoring (team-leading 14 points) for the fifth time this season (10 games) and the 63rd instance in his career (117 games)

Jordan Pope

• Scored double figures (12 points) for the eighth time this season (14 games) and the 62nd occasion in his career (78 games)

Kadin Shedrick

• Achieved double digits in rebounds (10) for the second time this season (14 games) and the seventh time in his career (122 games)