COLUMBIA, Mo. — The visitors dictated the style and pulled it off better.

No. 15 Missouri fell to No. 10 Texas A&M, 67-64, Saturday in a contest underscored by contact, ugly offense and fouls — the hallmarks of recent meetings between the Tigers and Aggies.

After a slow start, MU (17-6, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) pulled ahead of A&M in the second half, only to succumb to Aggie-imposed vagaries on the offensive end of the floor and a clutch 3-pointer from visiting A&M (18-5, 7-3).

Guard Wade Taylor IV nailed a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the game to break a 64-64 deadlock and win the game for Texas A&M.

The defeat is Mizzou's first at home this season. The Tigers entered the weekend with a 15-game home winning streak, which was the second-longest in the nation.

Guard Tamar Bates scored 16 points to lead Missouri. Forward Pharrel Payne anchored the Aggies with 20 points.

The first half saw MU fall behind by double digits early, scramble back into the mix and succumb to an offensive rut that kept the Tigers down at the break.

Texas A&M began the game on a 12-0 run, stymieing the Mizzou offense. The hosts settled down and tied the game at 20-20 on a Mark Mitchell layup with 8:13 to go in the first half.

But that was the last field goal made by Missouri in the half. It picked up nine points over the final eight minutes of the period at the free-throw line but couldn't get anything going from the field. The Aggies, while hacking away at the Tigers, pushed their lead back up to 38-29 at half.

Mitchell and point guard Tony Perkins went to work inside and at the free-throw line early in the second half, scoring six points each in the first four and a half minutes of the frame to cut A&M's lead to three points.

It wasn't until the final 10 minutes of the game that the Tigers broke through to tie it, though. Bates stole the ball and flushed it for a quick four-point burst that leveled the score at 49-49 with 9:41 to play.

As Mizzou continued to roll on a 12-0 run, freshman forward Marcus Allen gave the hosts the lead inside the last nine minutes. That run aligned with more than seven minutes without a bucket for the Aggies.

But over the next five minutes of game time, Texas A&M stuck around. It re-took the lead on a bucket from Taylor at the three-minute mark, pulling ahead 61-60.

An alley-oop feed to Bates gave the Tigers a 64-63 lead with 53 seconds remaining, only for A&M to tie the game 64-64 at the free-throw line.

Bates missed a tough midrange jumper with 14 seconds to go, setting up one last offensive possession for the Aggies — Taylor's 3-pointer. A desperation heave from Missouri missed at the buzzer.

Saturday's game was MU's 10th annual "Rally for Rhyan" fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. The initiative named for Rhyan Loos, the daughter of Mizzou senior associate athletic director Brad Loos, now has raised more than $1 million since its inception, Brad said.

Takeaways

One of the core principles — and factors in effectiveness — for Missouri's half-court offense is getting the ball into the paint. The Tigers don't necessarily need to put up a shot inside the paint, but getting it into that part of the floor at some point in the possession tends to create better opportunities.

Through the first several minutes of the game, Mizzou seemed averse or unable to funnel the ball inside. The hosts didn't score until nearly six minutes into the game, when center Josh Gray set a clean post seal, Mitchell drove into the paint and kicked it out to Bates in the corner for a 3-pointer.

— Before the game, Mizzou assistant coach Charlton Young likened the style of some Texas A&M players to defensive ends and outside linebackers. His assessment proved prudent as the matchup looked a bit like a football game at times with players hitting the deck in crowds around the rim. Officials called a combined 38 fouls.

— Allen, a freshman who won the immediate favor of the MU coaching staff, was a second-half difference-maker. He showed composure on the defensive floor, walling up to play vertical defense near the rim. Allen finished with only two points but six rebounds in 12 minutes — all in the second half. He was on the floor for the critical final defensive possession of regulation.

Key sequence

With the shot clock turned off and the game tied, Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams gave the keys to his star for a chance to win the game. Taylor, guarded by MU's Marques Warrick, got his defender turned around on a cut to the right wing. His 3-pointer was pure and won the game.

Key stat

0-4: That was Mizzou sharpshooter Caleb Grill's line from 3-point range as he struggled to shake free from the Aggies to get a clear jumper. The last time he played a game without making a 3 was in MU's SEC opener, against Auburn.

Up next

After back-to-back road games, Missouri is now between consecutive home contests. The Tigers will host Oklahoma at 8 p.m. Wednesday in a reunion of former Big 12 (and Big 8) foes.

The Sooners (16-6, 3-6 SEC) earned some quality wins in nonconference play but have struggled against teams from the upper echelon of their new conference. OU lost, 70-52, to No. 4 Tennessee earlier Saturday.

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