LEXINGTON, Ky. – Before Pennsylvania, in its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, played Texas A&M in yesterday’s opening round at Rupp Arena, Quakers junior guard Brian Grandieri said getting to the tournament “never gets old,” but, he added, “It does get old losing.”

Penn, which has now lost nine consecutive NCAA tournament games dating back to its last win in 1994, nearly ended its postseason misery.

Only nearly, though, before losing, 68-52, to the Aggies.

The 14th-seeded Quakers, after a dismal first half against the third-seeded Aggies that included 29.6-percent shooting and being out-rebounded 21-10, looked as if they, indeed, were mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.

Penn charged back from a 15-point deficit to take a 39-37 lead with 11:42 remaining in the game and the tournament’s first major upset appeared in the brewing process.

Texas A&M, however, recovered from a frenetic 21-6 Penn run and overcame its pesky Ivy League opponent thanks to a suffocating 31-13 run in that final 11:42.

The Aggies, now 26-6, will play No. 6 seed Louisville in tomorrow’s second-round game at 3:40 p.m. at Rupp.

“I was really glad the way our team responded after we got behind,” Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie said.

“The team was a little flat,” said Texas A&M’s Joseph Jones, who ignited the Aggies with consecutive dunks to regain the lead. “Those two dunks put a spark under us.”

Jones’s two follow-up dunks gave Texas A&M a 41-39 lead and sparked a 10-0 run after Penn had taken the lead.

“Joe did a great job giving everyone energy with those monster dunks,” said Texas A&M guard Acie Law, who scored a game-high 20 points.

Penn, which entered the game riding a 10-game winning streak, never truly threatened the rest of the game.

SOUTH REGION Texas A&M 68 Penn 52