Missouri Tops Texas A&M in Nail-Biter

Tigers snap 5-game skid against Aggies with late-game heroics

Feb. 12, 2026 at 3:15am

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In a close battle between SEC foes, the Missouri Tigers defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 86-85 on Wednesday night. Trent Pierce scored a season-high 23 points for Missouri, while Shawn Phillips Jr. had the go-ahead dunk and a crucial block in the final seconds to secure the victory for the Tigers.

Why it matters

This win snaps a 5-game losing streak for Missouri against Texas A&M, and keeps the Tigers in the hunt for a strong finish in SEC play. The back-and-forth nature of the game, with multiple lead changes in the final minutes, showcases the competitiveness of the conference.

The details

Missouri trailed by one with 17 seconds left, but Mark Mitchell found Shawn Phillips Jr. for an alley-oop dunk to give the Tigers the lead. Texas A&M had a chance to win it, but Phillips blocked the Aggies' final shot attempt at the buzzer to preserve the victory. Missouri outscored Texas A&M 56-28 in the paint, a key factor in the outcome.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
  • Missouri took the lead for good with 17 seconds remaining in the game.

The players

Trent Pierce

A Missouri player who scored a season-high 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting.

Shawn Phillips Jr.

A Missouri player who had the go-ahead dunk and a crucial block in the final seconds to secure the victory for the Tigers.

Dennis Gates

The head coach of the Missouri Tigers.

Zach Clemence

A Texas A&M player who led the Aggies with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Rashaun Agee

A Texas A&M player who had 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in the game.

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What they’re saying

“Ultimately, our defense won it. We were able to get up seven in that second half with about 12 minutes left, but they fought back and our guys didn't blink. We may have bent a little bit, but they didn't break.”

— Dennis Gates, Missouri Head Coach

“He executed the play, we knew we were going to be able to get that lob. Shawn was able to execute it on the game-winning play, and that was just a tremendous pass by Mark Mitchell. That just shows the amount of trust we have in each player.”

— Dennis Gates, Missouri Head Coach

“Shawn really beats himself up because he gave up a game-winning layup at home against Georgia, so we put him in that same situation and he was able to get a deflection with his size and athleticism. The referees allowed the guys to play in the last two minutes.”

— Dennis Gates, Missouri Head Coach

What’s next

On Saturday, Missouri hosts Texas and Texas A&M plays at No. 19 Vanderbilt.

The takeaway

This hard-fought victory on the road against a conference rival showcases Missouri's resilience and ability to make key plays down the stretch. The Tigers' dominance in the paint and timely defensive stops proved to be the difference in this back-and-forth battle.