LSU men’s basketball ended the regular season with yet another heartbreaking loss, falling to Texas A&M 94-91 in the final moments of triple overtime.

The culprit of aggression bound the Tigers early and late, preventing them from holding onto a lead. 

Clutch shots came from Max Mackinnon and Jalen Reece late, forcing the second and third overtime periods. Mackinnon’s nine overtime points proved not to be enough, even when paired with some buckets from Mike Nwoko that gave him a double-double.

Robert Miller III and Nwoko both had four fouls toward the end of the game and got swapped out every couple of minutes to try to maximize the damage they could place on the Aggies.

“From the standpoint of both had four fouls, [which] it felt like for a really long time, I thought [they] did a good job of playing with those fouls,” LSU head coach Matt McMahon said. 

The third overtime saw Reece continue his clutch scoring, with the addition of Miller adding some points. It wasn’t enough to fend off Texas A&M’s uplifted third overtime period, even though LSU’s effort was dramatically improved in the extra periods.

“I couldn’t live if it went to a fourth overtime,” Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMillan joked. “LSU would have won by forfeit. I would’ve just had to walk out of there.”

LSU will finish last in the SEC for the second time in McMahon’s four years as head coach. 

The Tigers haven’t played well against a full-court press this year, and it looked like it would continue early against the Aggies. The quick and aggressive play, dubbed ‘Bucky Ball’ after its head coach, had the Tigers wrapped up for the first few minutes.

It fell back apart in the second half while Texas A&M was filing its comeback bid. 

The Tigers were suffocated and smothered on all parts of the court late in the second half and could seldom come to the surface for air once the Aggies brought it close.

LSU kept getting just close enough to tie the game, but couldn’t break through to a large lead deep into the game.

The starting lineup was full of seniors who were celebrated before tip-off. PJ Carter got his first start with LSU. One senior, Marquel Sutton, said after the game that McMahon was immediately focused on lifting up the seniors so they could enjoy the day with their families.

After easing in, the home team exploded out to a 15-3 run over the first eight minutes to get out to a 12-point lead, with Mackinnon helping lead the way. He finished with 20 points on his senior night over 48 minutes of play.

The way Mackinnon starts a game has typically been a telltale sign for how the rest of the team will do. He started with six points in those first eight minutes, and the team pushed that heat through the rest of the first half. 

Texas A&M wasn’t doing itself many favors to keep in the game early.

The Aggies only made 10-of-35 shots from the field in the first half, an improved number from the 4-for-25 start. Rylan Griffen had 13 of the team’s 33 points over that time. The Aggie senior finished with 24 points.

Rashaun Agee, an Aggie who has been in college since 2019, scored 26 as well. He had multiple huge shots in overtime to keep LSU at bay.

Texas A&M was able to get many shot attempts from forcing 17 turnovers in regulation and another five in overtime. LSU also couldn’t keep its hands on the ball on Tuesday at Auburn when it turned it over 16 times, tied for the Tigers’ highest mark in SEC play.

The other instance of 16 turnovers? The first SEC game against Texas A&M. Bucky Ball strikes again. The Aggies only turned it over 10 times in the 55 minutes of play.

“They do a good job of mixing their coverages … I think that’s their DNA,” McMahon said. “Where they really flourish is when they create those turnovers and get out in transition. That’s the identity of their team.”

Miller did what he could to keep the Aggies from putting up shots, blocking four for the third time in the last four games and grabbing two steals. It was another defensive masterclass from the sophomore.

The game was within one possession in the closing seconds of the first half, but Sutton sent his team into the locker room with the momentum after a huge 3-pointer in the waning moments.

Sutton did a little bit of everything for LSU, including being on the court for 50 minutes of the marathon. His 12 points and seven rebounds made for a solid senior day for Sutton.

LSU brought back its early-season 3-pointer barrage, making 8-of-26 on the night. 

Reece played the most minutes out of anyone for LSU with 51. The freshman has fallen into a nice rhythm on the team and continues to grow his game. He will be a key player to retain for the upcoming year.

“Every game I get more comfortable because my teammates trust me, coaches trust me,” Reece said. “When they trust you … you just got to come here and work and play hard.”

Along with Reece’s 17 points, he assisted five buckets and only turned it over twice. His game keeps getting better, and he looked remarkably comfortable on the court. In a moment of distress from the full-court press, Reece dribbled past three defenders for a layup that he made look too easy.

He and LSU started to utilize a full-court press toward the end of the game, and though Reece’s defense was fierce, the team’s effort wasn’t half as effective as Texas A&M’s.

LSU finishes regular season play with a record of 15-16 and a 3-15 mark in SEC play. The Tigers head to Nashville during spring break for the SEC Tournament. LSU first plays Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. CT, with the opponent to be determined after Saturday’s slate finishes.