Aggies about as good as they're going to get

Maybe this is as good as Texas A&M can be.

A&M's definition of a blowout is a 14-point victory over an Oklahoma team that began the night on a five-game losing streak.

The 21st-ranked team should perform better than that at home, and the Aggies have created high expectations because they have won much more than anyone expected.

A&M won its fifth straight Wednesday night in a way that surprised no one -- underachieving in the first half but perking up in the second half for a 61-47 victory.

A&M still hasn't put together a good all-around 40-minute game at home since a 91-89 victory over Missouri on Jan. 15. Then again, it might not be talented enough.

The Aggies played down to Oklahoma in the first half, missing three layups and allowing a team that's outrebounded only three Big 12 opponents to hold a 17-9 edge on the boards, which is supposed to be an Aggie strength.

"We looked tired and lethargic at the start of the game," A&M head coach Mark Turgeon said. "We had such an enthusiastic great practice yesterday. I told the guys at halftime you didn't look anything like the team that was at practice yesterday."

No kidding.

OU sleep-walked its way to a 26-25 lead before a late-arriving crowd for the early start. And it could have been worse. The Sooners were getting open shots but couldn't hit them. That's understandable: OU was playing three sophomores and three freshmen.

Yeah, the 12-15 Sooners haven't given up, bless their hearts. But other than senior Cade Davis, who had 21 points, it was balanced futility for the rest of the team. The Aggies should have had a double-digit lead at the break on these guys.

Turgeon was as much a yell leader in the second half as a coach, clapping and urging his players to match his energy.

It worked not once but twice. A&M took a 10-point lead, and after OU cut it to four, the Aggies put it away for good.

But even in the closing seconds, the team showed Turgeon why he can't let up. The Aggies allowed Tyler Neal to shoot a wide-open 3 late. Of course, the freshman missed to end an 0-for-8 night, six of them 3-point attempts.

Maybe the Aggies knew they didn't need to defend Neal.

"This team is like that," Turgeon said. "When they get to a certain point, they tend to relax."

A slow start against Baylor cost A&M a possible victory. The Aggies struggled at Nebraska, but other than that, this team has managed to win the games it should. That's why A&M is solidly in third place in the Big 12, inching closer to a decent seed for the NCAA tournament.

"They are 22-5, 9-4 in the league and they have won five straight which is pretty remarkable," Turgeon said.

Yeah, A&M could have played better against OU, but the bottom line is it would still be 22-5 and 9-4 and on a solid five-game winning streak.

Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.