When the Texas A&M Aggies were referred to as a “second half team,” this is not what it meant.

What started in Austin as another runaway win for the Aggie basketball team ended in heartbreak for the 12th Man, as Longhorns guard Tramon Mark hit in a layup off the glass with just three seconds left, capping off a 22-point comeback for Texas in Austin on Saturday.

The loss brings the No. 13 Aggies to 15-5 on the year and will likely result in a drop of their ranking in the AP Top 25.

Wade Taylor’s 15 points and Manny Obaseki’s 13 were the only points in double figures for the Aggies as the overall defensive collapse truly did the Maroon and White in at the Moody Center.

With that, here are some takeaways from the game.

Free Throw Woes Continue

The Aggies only attempted eight free throws in the contest, but they only made three of them, with the 37.5 percent displayed another upsetting performance from the line by the Ags. With the margin of this defeat, one can only imagine how the outcome would’ve been had the team been efficient at free throws today.

Improvement Beyond the Arc

What the Aggies lacked in free throws, they made up for in three-pointers, shooting 52.2 percent from downtown, making 12 of 23 shots.

Taylor IV led the way, sinking five of his eight three-point attempts.

Lack of Discipline?

The Longhorns, on the other hand, went 14-17 from the charity stripe off of 15 fouls by the Aggies. There is a good chance that this played the biggest role in the Texas comeback, and so the word from Buzz Williams to his men should be make free throws and prevent the other team from shooting free throws of their own.

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by subscribing to our newsletter here. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @AllAggiesOnSI & follow us on Twitter at @TAMUAggiesSI

MORE TEXAS A&M AGGIES NEWS:

MORE: 4-Star PF Sets First Official Visit With Texas A&M Aggies

MORE: Where Does Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Season Rank Amongst The All-Time Greats?

MORE: Former Texas A&M Aggies CB Commits to Fourth Team in Four Years

MORE: Texas A&M Aggies Impress 5-Star OT on Visit

AUSTIN, Texas – Roughly 4,000 people marched to the Austin Capitol Saturday carrying signs that read “Choose life” and “defund planned parenthood.”

It’s part of the annual Texas Rally for Life, which falls on the week of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion; however, that has since been overturned, and Texas now has a near-total abortion ban.

Local perspective:

After marching around the capitol, people dropped off baby supplies for pregnancy centers. Organizers estimate that more than 40,000 diapers and 13,000 wipes were donated.

With a near-total abortion ban in Texas and Republicans making up a majority in the Texas and U.S. House and Senate, this year’s march feels more like a victory lap for participants. They’d like to build on that.

What they’re saying:

“I hope today sends a message that we in Texas are pro-life,” said Amy O’Donnell, the communications director for Texas Alliance for Life.

“It communicates to the public, to Texans, that this issue is important and we’re speaking for the unborn,” said Kate McDonald, who was with the Leander Area Republican Women. “Those that can’t speak for themselves. It’s an  important issue that we need to continue to fight for.”

They discussed funding for pro-life pregnancy centers and the Texas abortion law itself.

“We are always one election away from losing our gains, and the reality is that our work is far from over,” said O’Donnell.

Just this week, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick called on legislators to further define Texas’ law on how ill or at risk a pregnant person has to be to receive an abortion.

“We’re also working to make sure that doctors are clear of our law,” said O’Donnell. “We hear a lot of misinformation that our laws don’t save women’s lives.”

Thousands of pro-life supports march in Austin Saturday.

Advertisement

The other side:

Democrats have asked for clarity on this too.

“So we can ensure that those who have pregnancy complications will be able to get the health care that they need to have,” said State Representative Donna Howard (D-Austin).

While there was no counterprotest at the capitol, the ACLU of Texas said it’s still fighting back.

“At the ACLU of Texas we are committed to fighting for reproductive justice in Texas,” said Blair Wallace, the policy and advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas

Wallace said a top priority right now is training people through the Texas Abortion Advocacy Network to learn how to fight for pro-choice despite the state’s ban.

“We’re building a powerful movement of advocates and working to push back, you know, against things like criminalization and expanding access to care because we know that the Texas we know can exist and will exist, it just really takes all of us coming together,” said Wallace.

Coming off of a thrilling win over the Ole Miss Rebels earlier in the week, The Texas A&M Aggies are looking to make it three in a row when they head to Austin to take on their arch-rival Texas Longhorns at the Moody Center.

This will be the second matchup in SEC play between the two teams this season, with the Aggies coming away with an easy 80-60 win in College Station earlier this month.

Zhuric Phillips led the way for the Aggies that day, scoring 18 points, while Texas A&M shot 47.4-percent from the field as a team. Meanwhile, the Aggies defense held the Horns to just 34.6 percent on the other end.

That said, the Longhorns are coming off of a big win of their own vs. No. 22 Missouri, and should have the Moody Center rocking in preparation for the matchup vs. their arch-rival Aggies.

“I have not been to (the Moody Center). But just from watching their games, it looks like it is arguably the best in the country,” Aggies coach Buzz Williams said ahead of the game. “Their roster is ultra-talented. They are playing with more efficiency over the last five games.”

You can check out how to watch, listen and stream the game below:

WHO: No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies vs. Texas Longhorns

RECORDS: Texas A&M (14-4, 3-2 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (15-3, 4-1 SEC)

WHEN: January 25, 1:30 pm CT

WHERE: Moody Center, Austin, Texas.

TELEVISION/STREAMING: ESPN2

PLAY BY PLAY: Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw (color commentary)

RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network, 1620 AM/94.5 FM

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by subscribing to our newsletter here. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @AllAggiesOnSI & follow us on Twitter at @TAMUAggiesSI

MORE TEXAS A&M AGGIES NEWS:

MORE: Texas A&M Aggies Add James Madison Defensive Coordinator to Staff

MORE: 4-Star PF Sets First Official Visit With Texas A&M Aggies

MORE: Where Does Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Season Rank Amongst The All-Time Greats?

MORE: Former Texas A&M Aggies CB Commits to Fourth Team in Four Years

MORE: Texas A&M Aggies Impress 5-Star OT on Visit