Auburn thought it won — until the buzzer beat them against Texas A&M

Jeff Hauser

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Auburn thought it won — until the buzzer beat them against Texas A&M image

The shock on Steven Pearl’s face said everything.

Auburn believed it had won at the horn. After a lengthy review, officials ruled KeShawn Murphy’s deep 3-pointer came after time expired, lifting the Texas A&M Aggies to a 90-88 victory over the Auburn Tigers on Tuesday night at Neville Arena.

One of the more crazier finishes in a while. Murphy appeared to bury the game-winner as the buzzer sounded, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Moments later, the celebration froze. Replay showed the ball was still in Murphy’s hand when the clock hit zero.

The stunning finish capped a wild final six minutes in which Auburn watched a 16-point second-half lead evaporate. Texas A&M’s pressure defense, a standard under first-year coach Bucky McMillan, led to a rapid comeback built on turnovers and transition baskets.

The Aggies closed a five-point gap in the final 70 seconds as Keyshawn Hall scored an and-one and later hit two free throws. After multiple intentional fouls and missed opportunities on both sides, Auburn still had one last chance. Pop Isaacs intentionally missed a free throw with 0.6 seconds left, setting up Murphy’s final look, which was a shot that fell, but too late.

Texas A&M finished with a decisive edge in fast-break points and points off turnovers, punishing Auburn’s mistakes down the stretch. The Tigers fell to 9-6 overall and 0-2 in SEC play.

Auburn returns home Saturday to host highly ranked Arkansas, still replaying a final shot that almost was.

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Contributing Writer