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Aggies shoot down Owls

Nov 29, 2010 - 8:24 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - B.J. Holmes' putback with 18 seconds left lifted Texas A&M to a 54-51 win over 21st-ranked Temple in consolation-round action of the Old Spice Classic at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.

David Loubeau finished with a game-high 13 points and Naji Hibbert contributed 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Texas A&M (5-1), which suffered a 67-65 loss to Boston College on Thursday, but recovered by earning an easy 74-45 victory over Manhattan the following day. Holmes ended with seven points.

Lavoy Allen and Juan Fernandez both had 10 points for Temple (3-2), which opened this event with a loss to California on Thursday, then defeated Georgia on Friday.

Texas A&M led 30-25 at the intermission and extended its advantage to 13, 42-29, following Hibbert's three-pointer just over six minutes into the second half.

However, Temple responded with an 18-4 run over the next several minutes and went ahead at 47-46 on Khalif Wyatt's layup with 6:46 to play.

"I was proud of our guys that we came back and took the lead again, but we didn't play as solidly as we needed to play all game long," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy.

After several lead changes, Loubeau hit a jumper to give the Aggies a 50-49 edge with 1:28 left, but Ramone Moore made a pair of free throws on the Owls next trip for a 51-50 game.

Then after Dash Harris missed from medium range, Holmes gathered the offensive board and put it in for a one-point Texas A&M lead. Fernandez missed a corner three on Temple's next possession with four seconds remaining and Khris Middleton converted two from the line after getting fouled to put his squad up 54-51 and the Aggies held on in the closing seconds.

Temple led by as many as seven, 15-8, following a pair of free throws by Fernandez with 8:46 left in the first half, but the Aggies scored 10 unanswered to go in front.

Loubeau accounted for five during the surge and after Middleton made two from the stripe, Texas A&M was up 18-15 with just over six minutes remaining.

The Aggies' lead reached as high as seven, but they had to settle for a 30-25 advantage at the break.

Game Notes

This was only the second-ever meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, and the first since the winter of 1957. In that meeting the Owls, who were ranked 10th in the nation at the time, easily defeated Texas A&M, 60-44, in Philadelphia.