Missouri Edges Texas A&M in Tight 86-85 Battle

Tigers' size advantage proves decisive in close SEC matchup

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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In a back-and-forth SEC clash, the Missouri Tigers used their significant size advantage to edge past the Texas A&M Aggies 86-85 at Reed Arena on Wednesday night. Despite the Aggies' hot shooting in the first half, Missouri's dominance on the boards and ability to score in the paint ultimately made the difference, with a late alley-oop dunk by 7-foot center Shawn Phillips Jr. proving to be the decisive play.

Why it matters

This game highlighted the challenges Texas A&M faces against taller, more physically imposing opponents in the SEC. While the Aggies showed resilience in keeping the game close, their inability to fully neutralize Missouri's size advantage proved costly in the end, raising questions about how they will fare against other big teams in the conference.

The details

Texas A&M came out firing, hitting 11 of their first 17 3-pointers, but Missouri kept the game close by dominating the offensive glass in the first half. The Aggies extended their lead to 7 early in the second half, but a 7-minute, 21-second scoring drought allowed Missouri to go on a 20-9 run and take a 74-66 lead. The Aggies fought back to regain the lead late, but an alley-oop dunk by Missouri's 7-foot center Shawn Phillips Jr. with 17 seconds left proved to be the difference.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 12, 2026 at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas.

The players

Shawn Phillips Jr.

A 7-foot center for the Missouri Tigers who scored the decisive alley-oop dunk in the final seconds of the game.

Mark Mitchell

A 6-foot-9 forward for the Missouri Tigers who assisted on the game-winning alley-oop dunk.

Rashaun Agee

A forward for the Texas A&M Aggies who scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the game.

Zach Clemence

A guard for the Texas A&M Aggies who scored 20 points, including a pair of key 3-pointers late in the game.

Bucky McMillan

The head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies.

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What they’re saying

“We couldn't combat their size. I've coached a game where we literally tried as many on defense as we did to stop them and still couldn't.”

— Bucky McMillan, Head Coach, Texas A&M Aggies (on3.com)

“(Texas A&M) was scorching hot in that first half, man.”

— Dennis Gates, Head Coach, Missouri Tigers (on3.com)

“We had some guys...who weren't doing the small things very well tonight.”

— Bucky McMillan, Head Coach, Texas A&M Aggies (on3.com)

What’s next

The loss drops Texas A&M to 17-7 overall and 7-4 in SEC play, while Missouri improves to 17-7 and 7-4. Both teams will look to bounce back in their next conference matchups.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the challenges Texas A&M faces against taller, more physically imposing opponents in the SEC. While the Aggies showed fight in keeping the game close, their inability to fully neutralize Missouri's size advantage proved costly, raising questions about how they will fare against other big teams in the conference.