COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M's anemic shooting from the free throw line and beyond the arc proved too much for a stellar performance by forward Henry Coleman and a tenacious defensive effort as the Aggies fell 64-58 to No. 12 Kentucky before a record 14,036 at Reed Arena.
One of the better shooting 3-point teams in the SEC, the Aggies (15-3, 4-1 SEC) struggled from deep for a second straight game, hitting just 1 of 22 shots from beyond the arc. Their free throw shooting was little better, as they made just 5 of 13 attempts. Kentucky (15-3, 4-1 SEC), on the other hand, hit 18 of 26 free throws.
A&M got off to a quick start, attacking the basket repeatedly en route to a 13-point lead in the first half. Coleman, with a game-high 17 points, led the way by making 8 of 12 shots from the field. The lead was whittled to just 5 at halftime, however, with A&M up 35-30.
Bad shooting in the first half became atrocious shooting in the second, with A&M hitting only 10 of 34 shots including all 14 3-point attempts. Free throw shooting was little better, as A&M made just 3 of 8 attempts.
Still, the Aggies remained right with the Wildcats until the final minutes, largely due to their tough defense. Kentucky didn't take their first lead until 9 minutes to go in the game, when a layup by Kellan Grady gave the WIldcats a 49-48 lead. Kentucky, which scored 107 points in their Saturday win over Tennessee, hit just 36% of its shots and turned the ball over 17 teams Wednesday night.
The two teams were never separated by more than 4 points the rest of the way until the closing seconds, when the Wildcats hit a pair of free throws for the decisive margin.
