Texas A&M men's basketball team beats Yale in March Madness, advances to NCAA second round
Despite being ranked fourth in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament, many college hoops "experts" picked against the Texas A&M men's basketball team entering its first-round contest against No. 13 Yale.
The Aggies (23-10) silenced the doubters by earning an 80-71 victory versus Yale (22-8) in their opening matchup of March Madness on Thursday evening at Ball Arena in Denver. Texas A&M took control in the first half and didn't look back, leading 40-29 at halftime after star guard Wade Taylor IV hit his first and only 3-pointer of the night with just seconds remaining.
Pharrel Payne led the way for the Aggies off the bench with a double-double and two game-highs. The junior power forward had a very efficient performance with 25 points on 10-of-12 field goal attempts and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He added 10 rebounds (5 offensive) and an assist.
Overall, the Aggies stuck to their strengths, playing elite defense, which sped the Bulldogs up and kept them from gaining any momentum outside of cutting the deficit to six late in the second half.
Texas A&M will play the winner of No. 5 Michigan (25-9) versus No. 12 UC San Diego (30-4) in the second round on Saturday.
Don't forget to check the rearview with Obaseki around š¤š«#MarchMadness@aggiembkhttps://t.co/oORZhdHXYWpic.twitter.com/GDwQnQvnfF
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M vs. Yale in 2025 March Madness: Pharrel Payne carries Aggies
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