COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- T.J. Ford scored 19 points and Royal Ivey helped put the clamps on Bernard King Saturday night as the third-ranked Texas Longhorns held on for a foul-plagued 95-87 Big 12 Conference victory over Texas A&M.
Ford helped Texas (15-4, 6-2 Big 12) break a two-game road streak and win its ninth straight in College Station. Sydmill Harris added 17 points off the bench.
Ivey, a noted defensive stopper, scored 16 points but his defense on King was a bigger key. King missed his first 10 shots and finished with just 10 points, although it was enough to pass Marcus Fizer as the leading scorer in Big 12 history.
Ivey made two free throws with 11:41 remaining to give Texas the lead for good, 69-67. The lead was still two points after Bradley Jackson split a pair from the line with just under six minutes left to get Texas A&M (11-8, 3-5) within 80-78.
Ford and Harris each made a pair from the line and Ivey scored on a follow shot for an 86-78 lead with 3:54 to go. The margin never got below four thereafter.
The Longhorns shot 80 percent at the free-throw line as they drained 32 of 40 attempts. The Aggies also were frequent visitors to the line, hitting 21 of 32.
Freshman Antoine Wright matched a season high with 25 points to lead Texas A&M, which has lost consecutive games for the first time in 2002-03.
