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STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Jalen Jones scored 11 points, including the go-ahead dunk with 20 seconds left, to lead No. 21 Texas A&M over Mississippi State 61-60 on Wednesday night.
Texas A&M (12-2, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) struggled to score for most of the night, but did just enough to earn its fifth straight win. D.J. Hogg and Alex Caruso also each scored 11 points, and Admon Gilder added 10.
It was tied in the waning seconds when Caruso hit Jones with a perfect pass on the baseline. The 6-foot-7 forward finished with the easy dunk to give the Aggies a 59-57 lead and they held on for the win.
Gavin Ware had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Mississippi State (7-6, 0-1). Malik Newman added 14 points.
The Aggies won despite shooting 19 of 62 (30.6) percent from the field.
Texas A&M was playing without guard Danuel House — the team's second-leading scorer at more than 15 points per game. A team spokesman said House was in Texas dealing with a "personal matter," but was expected back for the Tennessee game on Saturday.
Mississippi State jumped out to a 19-11 lead in the first half after a terrible shooting start by Texas A&M. The Aggies were just 3 of 22 (14.3 percent) from the field during that stretch, missing open looks from inside and out.
But Texas A&M slowly pulled out of its offensive funk. Anthony Collins made a 3-pointer and converted a free throw for the rare 4-point play and Hogg hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give the Aggies a 28-25 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Mississippi State: Texas A&M assistant coach Rick Stansbury — who was head coach at Mississippi State from 1998 to 2012 — was honored by the Bulldogs in his return to Humphrey Coliseum. He was given a chair that listed several of his accomplishments.
Texas A&M: The Aggies had a 41-34 rebounding advantage. Hogg led the team with nine.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M at Tennessee on Saturday.
Mississippi State at Arkansas on Saturday.
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