Texas A&M's Tyler Davis (34) collides with teammate T.J. Starks (2) while reaching for a rebound as Alabama's John Petty (23) watches during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 8, 2018, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Alabama's Dazon Ingram (12) heads to the basket past Texas A&M's Tyler Davis (34) and Savion Flagg, right, during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 8, 2018, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Alabama's Collin Sexton, center, is congratulated by teammates after making the game-winning basket at the buzzer to defeat Texas A&M 71-70 in the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday in St. Louis.ST. LOUIS - Collin Sexton wasn't quite ready to put the Alabama men's basketball team's postseason chances in the hands of the NCAA tournament selection committee.
Instead, the standout freshman took the Crimson Tide's fate into his own hands - a plan that kept their hopes of reaching the Big Dance alive for another day.
Sexton drove the length of the court in the final seconds and hit a floater at the buzzer to give ninth-seeded Alabama a 71-70 win over Texas A&M on Thursday. He did so just moments after T.J. Starks hit a 3-pointer to put the Aggies up 70-69 with 4.4 seconds remaining, taking the inbounds pass after a timeout and rocketing up the court for the winner.
"Coach (Avery Johnson) just told me to race it up the floor to get to the basket," Sexton said. "He knew how fast I could get there, so he said, 'Just get to the basket, get a layup for us.'"
Sexton finished with 27 points, none bigger than his final two. Alabama (18-14) led by 12 in the second half before the No. 8 seed Aggies (20-12) rallied.
Dazon Ingram scored 13 points and Donta Hall 11 for the Crimson Tide, who ended their losing streak after five games and gave their postseason résumé a much-needed boost. Alabama is trying to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012.
"I think (the pressure) is motivating," Johnson said. "They understand that there are not a lot of chances left, no matter how far you go I just told them, 'Are you going to be able to look at yourself in the mirror after this game?'"
Starks matched his career high with 23 points, while Admon Gilder added 15 for Texas A&M.
The Aggies had won three in a row entering the game, including a 68-66 victory over the Crimson Tide six days earlier. Texas A&M led by seven points early in the first half, but Alabama surged ahead to take a 35-28 halftime lead - only to need Sexton's last-second shot to hold on for the win.
Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said he still feels "really good" about his team's chances of making the 68-team NCAA bracket.
"Something we can learn from this," Kennedy said, "is that the game's not over until the buzzer goes off."
» Mississippi State 80, LSU 77
Lamar Peters scored 24 points and Mississippi State hit 10 3-pointers before cutting short the Tigers' long-range rally.
Leading by seven points with 34 seconds left, the Bulldogs allowed the Tigers to hit two consecutive 3s to close to 78-77. But with nine seconds to play, Mississippi State inbounded the ball, avoided foul attempts and escaped with the victory after Nick Weatherspoon's dunk.
Peters led an unlikely charge from 3-point range for the seventh-seeded Bulldogs (22-10), who came into the contest the country's 15th-worst team from beyond the arc at 30.7 percent shooting. Mississippi State was 9-for-12 on 3s in the first half and finished the game 10-for-17.
The Bulldogs led by 19 at one point, but 10th-seeded LSU (17-14) trimmed its deficit to two with 5:52 remaining. The game stayed close until the end, but the Tigers never retook the lead.
Tremont Waters led LSU with 28 points and six assists.