BATON ROUGE -- Ben Simmons didn't have to shoot particularly well or throw down any flashy dunks to provide an invaluable, dynamic, wire-to-wire presence for LSU.
Simmons had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, and LSU defeated No. 15 Texas A&M 76-71 on Saturday, the Aggies' fourth consecutive loss.
Playing all 40 minutes -- sometimes in the post and sometimes at guard -- the 6-foot-10 Simmons shot only 4 of 11 from the field, but was 8 of 9 at the free-throw line to go with three steals and a blocked shot without a turnover.
"Any time you play against a really solid defensive basketball team like Texas A&M and not have any turnovers and you're handling the ball for the percentage of time during the game like that, it speaks volumes of his ability to see the floor and make the right plays and the right passes," LSU Coach Johnny Jones said of his star freshman. "Great all-around game for him. ... He can impact the game without taking shots and that's how good he is and that's how effective he is -- and I think he gives guys confidence around him."
Craig Victor scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and Keith Hornsby added 15 points for the Tigers (16-9, 9-3 SEC), who remained tied atop the SEC standings with Kentucky.
"Victor was a big difference around the basket," A&M Coach Billy Kennedy said. "We had no answer for him. I thought we got out-toughed."
Danuel House scored 20 points for Texas A&M (18-7, 7-5), which has lost five consecutive conference games. Alex Caruso scored 14 points and Jalen Jones added 12 for the Aggies, who led by as many as seven points early in the second half, but faded down the stretch for a fifth loss in six games, which could drop them out of the AP Top 25.
"We've just got to go back to the drawing board and find ways to win on the road," House said. "We're a good team. We've just got to put pieces back together."
Antonio Blakeney scored 10 points for LSU, which won for the second time in four games against ranked opponents this season.
"It was huge," Simmons said of the victory, which came as LSU tries to solidify its NCAA Tournament credentials. "It was a great opportunity for us to get that win."
Texas A&M had its largest lead of the second half when Jones' three-pointer made it 42-35. LSU then tied it with a 7-0 run that included Victor's four free throws, and the game was a tense, back-and-forth affair for most of the final 16 minutes.
The Tigers were clinging to a 65-64 lead after Caruso's free throws with 3:25 left, but Hornsby and Tim Quarterman combined to quickly give LSU a 70-64 lead; Quarterman set up Hornsby's three-pointer, then Hornsby's steal led to Quarterman's breakaway layup.
Texas A&M trailed by six with a minute remaining, but Blakeney stripped House, and the Aggies were forced to start fouling. Quarterman made two free throws and House missed a three-pointer, virtually sealing the result.
In other games involving SEC teams, Ryan Rosburg scored 21 points with five rebounds, shooting 8 for 9 from the field, as Missouri snapped a nine-game losing streak, beating Tennessee 75-64. The Tigers closed the game on a 7-0 run, which was capped with a breakaway dunk by Rosburg in front of the student section. Despite committing nine turnovers in the first half, Missouri led 38-27 at halftime after closing on a 13-6 run. ... Damian Jones helped stake Vanderbilt to a double-digit first-half lead and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in the Commodores' 86-57 rout of Auburn. Matthew Fisher-Davis added 16 points for Vandy (15-10, 6-5 SEC). ... Retin Obasohan scored 15 points, Jimmy Taylor added 11 and Alabama beat Florida for the first time in its last 12 tries, 61-55. The Crimson Tide (15-9, 6-6 SEC) made 42 percent of their shots from the field and held the Gators (16-9, 7-5) to a season-low 28.6 percent. Alabama won its fourth consecutive and handed Florida its first SEC home loss of the season. ... Yante Maten and Charles Mann combined for 46 points and 14 rebounds in leading Georgia (14-9, 7-5 SEC) to a 66-57 victory over Mississippi State (10-14, 3-9). Maten had a career-high 25 points while Mann chipped in with a season-high 21 points with both totaling seven rebounds each.
Sports on 02/14/2016