Denver, CO–In a spirited first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament on March 20, 2025, the fourth-seeded Texas A&M Aggies defeated the 13th-seeded Yale Bulldogs 80-71 at Ball Arena in Denver. The Aggies’ victory was propelled by a standout performance from forward Pharrel Payne, who recorded a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Texas A&M established an early lead, going up 27-14 within the first ten minutes. Despite Yale’s efforts to close the gap, the Aggies maintained a 40-29 advantage at halftime. The Bulldogs, led by John Poulakidas’ 23 points, continued to battle in the second half but were unable to overcome the early deficit.
Pharrel Payne played a big role in the first half for A&M leading all scores with 10 points and added on 2 rebounds. Anderson Garcia added 7 points and 5 rebounds in the first half as well as they were unable to fully pull away from the Bulldogs. Yale fought hard to stay in the game but a buzzer beating 3 by Wade Taylor IV would send the Aggies into halftime with an exclamation point and a 40-29 lead. Yale shot a respectable 11/27 from the field (40.7 FG%) but Texas A&M shot a whopping 17-29 (58.6 FG%) that would give them a lead as big as 13 in the first half.
Jace Carter added crucial plays, including a five-point swing that helped Texas A&M maintain their lead during Yale’s late surge. The Aggies’ defense effectively disrupted Yale’s offense, employing a zone trap that led to turnovers and limited the Bulldogs’ scoring opportunities.
Top Peformers
Yale: Casey Simmons 7 points 3 rebounds
John Poulakidas 7 points 2 rebounds
Texas A&M: Pharrel Payne 10 points 2 rebounds
Anderson Garcia 7 points 5 rebounds 2 assists
Coach’s Final Words
Yale’s coach, James Jones, acknowledged the challenges his team faced, stating, “For us to be successful in a game at this level, a lot of things have to go right. We have to make our free throws. We have to take better care of the ball. We didn’t do those things tonight.”
With this win, Texas A&M advances to the Round of 32, where they will face the winner of the matchup between Michigan and UC San Diego.
