PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Rashaun Agee scored 21 points on perfect shooting and Texas A&M capitalized on a decisive advantage at the free-throw line to secure an 81-73 road victory over Pittsburgh in a nonconference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at Petersen Events Center.

The Aggies, who led by as many as 16 points in the second half, improved to 7-2 with their third straight win. Pittsburgh dropped to 5-4.

Agee, a 6-foot-7 junior from Chicago, was the catalyst, making all seven of his field goal attempts and all seven of his free throws. He added four assists and two blocks in 27 minutes, anchoring an efficient Texas A&M offense that scored 1.183 points per possession.

The game was ultimately decided at the charity stripe. Texas A&M shot 20 of 22 from the line, a blistering 90.9 percent. Pittsburgh, by contrast, attempted only 11 free throws, making seven. The Aggies’ 13-point margin at the line more than accounted for the final eight-point victory margin.

Jacari Lane added 14 points and five assists for Texas A&M, while Ruben Dominguez knocked down four 3-pointers for his 18 points. The Aggies shot 44.1 percent from the field but were bolstered by their marksmanship from deep, hitting 9 of 23 from 3-point range.

Pittsburgh was led by Barry Dunning’s 18 points and eight rebounds. Cameron Corhen scored 15 points and Damarco Minor and Nojus Indrusaitis each added 15 off the bench. The Panthers shot a slightly better percentage from the floor at 47.5 percent but were hampered by 8-of-26 shooting from beyond the arc and their inability to draw fouls.

The Panthers’ offense, which turned the ball over 11 times against eight Aggies steals, managed 1.102 points per possession.

After a tightly contested first half that saw Texas A&M take a 35-33 lead into the break, the Aggies seized control with a 14-3 run early in the second period. The surge turned a 39-36 edge into a 53-39 command with 14:38 remaining, capped by a Dominguez 3-pointer.

Pittsburgh chipped away, using a 9-2 run to close within 63-58 with just over six minutes to play. A driving layup by Lane and a steal and score from Rylan Griffen pushed the lead back to nine, and the Panthers would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.

Texas A&M’s discipline in the final minutes sealed it, as the Aggies went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line inside the final 41 seconds to extinguish any hope of a Pittsburgh comeback.

The Aggies’ defensive activity was also a factor, generating eight steals and converting Pittsburgh’s turnovers into 15 points. Texas A&M also won the battle on the glass, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds to Pittsburgh’s 11.

The game drew an announced crowd of 4,945 to Petersen Events Center. Texas A&M entered as a 2.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, and the combined score of 154 fell under the pregame over-under line of 150.5. Advanced analytics from Interstat gave the Aggies a 68.1 percent probability to win prior to tipoff.

Texas A&M will look to continue its momentum on Sunday when it faces SMU in Arlington, Texas. Pittsburgh aims to rebound at home on Sunday against Hofstra.

SEASON NOTES: Texas A&M’s win followed a 95-59 rout of Florida State on Nov. 28. The Aggies’ two losses this season came on the road at Oklahoma State and at home against UCF. Pittsburgh was coming off a narrow 67-66 home win over Ohio State last Friday. The Panthers’ schedule has included losses to UCF and West Virginia.