For the first time in program history, Texas A&M men’s basketball is hosting a top-10 matchup at Reed Arena, and the first twenty minutes of action were impressive.

Fresh off a thrilling last-second win over the Oklahoma Sooners, the No. 9 Aggies welcomed the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide in what promised to be another exciting SEC matchup, and the first half of the game was hard-fought with the Aggies behind them trailed Tide, 52-44.

With Wade Taylor IV out for the second straight game due to an undisclosed injury, the Aggies once again needed to face a good conference opponent to end their nine-game winning streak.

Although A&M never took the lead in the first frame and struggled at the free throw line, shooting 15-for-26 in the half, the Aggies held their own against an Alabama team that isn’t afraid to shoot from 3-point range keep close range.

In the first half, the Crimson Tide made 22 three-pointers, making 10, and won the rebound battle 30-21.

The Aggies were led by guard Zhuric Phelps, who finished the half with a team-leading 13 points and six rebounds.

Alabama was led by guard Mark Sears, who scored 15 points and was 5 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 6 from long range.

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The SEC as a whole was an impressive group with nine teams in the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with A&M and Alabama looking like two of the top programs in the stacked conference.

Saturday’s matchup between the two programs will give the winner the upper hand in a thrilling conference race early in the season.

Stay here for live updates:

Texas A&M vs Alabama live updates

10:06 2H: Alabama 70, Texas A&M 55

It took 1.5 periods, but the Crimson Tide appear to be separating themselves from the Aggies and are in full control, forcing a Buzz Williams timeout. Alabama’s Mark Sears leads all scorers with 17 points so far, but only has two points in the second frame and two assists in the half.

11:55 2H: Alabama 62, Texas A&M 52

Progress was slow without heroic offensive efforts from both teams, but Alabama appears to be pulling away as we approach the halfway point of the second half. The Aggies fought hard and stayed in the fight, but without more consistent play from both sides, they may not have the time to take their first lead of the night and ultimately clinch the win.

3:44 p.m. 2H: Alabama 56, Texas A&M 49

Once again, the Aggies and Tide fell short on offense by a half. Both were only able to score five and four points, respectively, in the first four-plus minutes. At some point, A&M needs to be able to consistently add points on offense or risk Alabama getting hot and getting out of reach late

Halftime: Alabama 52, Texas A&M 44

3:36 1H: Alabama 39, Texas A&M 36

The Aggies took the lead, leaning on forward Pharrel Payne and guard Zhuric Phelps, both of whom have had success on the season. Payne was difficult for the Tide to deal with at the rim, drawing five fouls and making 8 of 10 free throws. Phelps went to the hole hard, finished strong and made contact, and both scored 10 and 11 points, respectively.

7:49 1H: Alabama 29, Texas A&M 22

The Tide has started to heat up from beyond the arc, scoring 13 points since the last stoppage in play with nine points coming from 3-point range. The Aggies continue to struggle with free throws, falling below 50% at 7 of 15, as the eight misses in this game play as big a role as the difference.

11:49 1H: Alabama 16, Texas A&M 11

The deficit remains at five heading into the second intermission, but the Aggies have been successful so far in attacking the team and committing fouls, drawing eight in the early stages. They’ve done a good job of keeping Alabama’s aggressive 3-point approach in check, with the Tide only going 3-for-8 so far, but they’ll need to be better at the free throw line if they want to close the gap, as they’re only 6 out of 10 have achieved.

3:31 p.m. 1H: Alabama 8, Texas A&M 3

It was a slow start initially for both teams, but especially for the Aggies, who are 1-4 on the field and at the free throw line. A&M also committed four fouls, contributing to their initial five-point deficit.

Texas A&M men’s basketball starting lineup

• G – Zhuric Phelps

• G – Hayden Hefner

• G – Manny Obaseki

• F – Solomon Washington

• F – Henry Coleman III

Alabama’s starting lineup

• G – Labaron Philon

• G – Mark Sears

• F – Grant Nelson

• Q – Jarin Stevenson

• C – Clifford Omoryui

When does Texas A&M play Alabama?

Time: 7pm CT.

Date: January 11th.

Location: Reed Arena in College Station.

How to watch and hear Texas A&M vs. Alabama on Saturday?

TV channel: ESPN

On-line: Fubo, ESPN+

Radio: 1370 p.m.

Texas A&M men’s basketball and Alabama will be broadcast and streamed on ESPN. Other streaming options for the game include ESPN and Fubo.

Contact Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina by email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this great offer.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Aggies-Crimson Tide Score: Live updates for SEC matchup