No. 14 Kentucky falls to Texas A&M in overtime

Kentucky head coach John Calipari reacts as his team comes off for a time out against Texas A&M during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in College Station, Texas.

The Texas A&M Aggies weren’t anxious about any of that and were overcome instead by a sense of relief – and gratitude. “You kidding me? Great kid”. “I was shocked and it ended up working in our favor”. “So thanks to the dude on the other team”.

House missed a contested jumper off the front of the rim.

“The toughness thing has been an issue for us from the beginning of the year and there are games that we do it and there are other games that the mindset just is not there to be physical and bang and do what you have to do”, Calipari said.

Officials then whistled Duke guard Grayson Allen for charging – his fifth foul – and assessed him a subsequent technical foul for arguing the call to end his day after scoring a game-high 29 points for the Blue Devils (20-7, 9-5), who had beaten a ranked team in each of their last three games.

The Aggies would hit both technical free throws to take a 77-76 lead.

Kentucky (20-7, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) topped Texas A&M 70-64 in double overtime last season and escaped with a 72-68 victory in one extra period in 2013.

Calipari said that play “sullied” an otherwise good game, but insisted he wasn’t upset with Humphries. “That’s what it did”.

“Everybody raises their level up when Kentucky comes in”, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “If they are going to call that, what can you do?”

A&M’s Jalen Jones (Kimball), who led all scorers with 24 points, didn’t mince words.

Kentucky is riding a four-game winning streak into College Station and could put the regular season title all but out of reach for the Aggies with a win.

Florida, trailing 72-69, had a chance to tie in the final 10 seconds, but Chris Chiozza missed a 3-pointer.

Humphries made a pair of free throws to help Kentucky regain the lead before House hit two that put the Aggies up 75-74 with 1:36 left. Kentucky took a 76-75 lead with 1:10 to go on a jumper by Ulis.

A layup attempt by Danuel House went awry, but freshman Tyler Davis was in the right place at the right time down at the block.

After a Kentucky defensive stop, Lee had a chance to put Kentucky ahead with 31 seconds left, but he missed a free throw.

The Aggies can attribute their win to 20 rebounds – because they shot 39 percent. Ben Simmons was out of the Tigers’ starting lineup for the first time all season, though the freshman standout still played 36 minutes and had 21 points and nine rebounds.

But the Aggies would slowly take control of the second half, building a lead as big as eight.

A 3-pointer by Ulis gave Kentucky a one-point lead a couple of minutes after that, but the Aggies scored the next seven points to make it 55-49.

“He’s still in the locker room saying he’s sorry”, star point guard Tyler Ulis told Sports Illustrated’s Brian Hamilton after the game.

What a way to lose (and win) a basketball game. Ulis had at least four assists for a school-record 21st straight game.

The second half was much better for Kentucky, which actually outrebounded Texas A&M 16-11, thanks in large part to four second-half rebounds from Humphries and a whole lot of fight.

The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday night, facing Alabama at Rupp Arena.