(Photo credit: Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Texas A&M looks to build on its uber-impressive start to the league season and take a step closer to the Top 25 when it hosts Mississippi State on Wednesday in a Southeastern Conference clash in College Station, Texas.The Aggies (14-4, 4-1 SEC) head home after splitting a two-game road trip to No. 24 Tennessee and rival Texas, with the latter contest producing a rousing 74-70 win on Saturday. Rashaun Agee and Rylan Griffen scored 17 points each in the victory, which snapped an 11-game road losing streak to Texas.Ruben Dominguez added 10 points and Agee grabbed 11 rebounds for the Aggies, who have won seven of their past eight games. Saturday's 74-point output was the lowest for Texas A&M in a win this season.'Every game in this league is different -- you've got to be able to win in different ways,' said Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan. ' In the game against Texas we had to execute, really, some of our half-court sets late in that game and do a couple different things on defense.'Our group's a competent group right now -- I just think they expect to win right now. And I'm not saying that means you're gonna win every game, but they expect to win, and they're really dialed in.'The Bulldogs travel to the Brazos Valley carrying a three-game losing streak, the most recent a 68-67 loss Saturday at home to Ole Miss. Jayden Epps' 14 points paced Mississippi State (10-8, 2-3) while Josh Hubbard and Jamarion Davis-Fleming scored 13 points apiece.Hubbard, who finished with his fewest points against an SEC foe since Jan. 25, 2025, versus South Carolina, missed a contested layup in the final seconds that could have given the Bulldogs the win.Mississippi State was a woeful 5 of 27 (18.5%) from beyond the arc after missing all 12 3-point attempts in the first half. The Bulldogs rank last in the SEC with a 23.6% 3-point accuracy rate in its five conference games. They hit 33.1% from beyond the arc in their 13 nonconference games.'I don't really think teams are really guarding us that much differently,' Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said. 'I think SEC length, as compared maybe to some other teams that we have been playing, has been the difference. People recruit for a reason.'Hubbard leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 22.3 points per game.--Field Level Media