DENVER — Texas A&M men’s basketball comes into the round of 32 fresh off a convincing win over Yale in the opening round and now locks horns with a talented Michigan squad for the right to go to Atlanta and play in the Sweet 16.
It’s been a quality matchup, with both teams going on runs offensively and stout defensive efforts on the rim. After the first half of action, the Aggies lead the Wolverines 39-35.
Once again, forward Pharrel Payne has been dominant, finishing the first half with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Payne’s physicality has matched well with Michigan’s two 7-foot bigs and has made for excellent isolated matchups to watch in the paint.
In addition to Payne, the Aggies were led by forward Andersson Garcia, who continues to shoot well from beyond the arc, finishing the half with nine points on 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range.
Wolverines’ center Vladislav Goldin ended the first half with the team lead in points and rebounds, finishing with 12 and seven, respectively. However, Goldin has picked up two fouls in the half.
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3:37 2H: Michigan 81, Texas A&M 72
The game has flipped completely on its head thanks to the Aggies’ four-minute and 21-second scoring drought; the Wolverines are in full control with under four minutes to go. Michigan has made five of their six shots in that same span, and now A&M is in a dangerous spot with its season on the line.
7:56 2H: Texas A&M 70, Michigan 66
These two teams have played so evenly matched all afternoon, both shooting 42% from the field right now, while A&M is 79% from the free-throw line to Michigan’s 77%. The Wolverines were able to cut the lead to just one before Taylor drained a 3-pointer to push the Aggies back up four.
11:35 2H: Texas A&M 61, Michigan 57
Things have tightened up here at the second media timeout. The Wolverines have cut the Aggies’ lead down to just four, making five of their last five field goals. Payne continues to be a force as he’s up to 21 points following his 25-point performance on Thursday.
15:49 2H: Texas A&M 48, Michigan 41
Taylor went scoreless for the first half, but the Wolverines couldn’t hold him for long, as the Aggies went on a 6-0 to start the second half, aided by Taylor’s four quick points.
Halftime: Texas A&M 39, Michigan 35
2:44 1H: Texas A&M 34, Michigan 33
It’s been a great back-and-forth game thus far, with both teams going on runs. The latest is Michigan, which has made four of its last five shots to trim A&M’s lead to just one.
6:17 1H: Texas A&M 27, Michigan 23
The physicality and intensity in this one are evident, with A&M playing their signature hard-nosed defense as they head into the third media timeout of the half with a four-point lead. Offensively, the Aggies are 10-for-28 from the field and just 2-for-8 from beyond the arc, but it’s been enough to hold the slim lead.
11:11 1H: Texas A&M 17, Michigan 17
Aggies lose their lead at the second timeout but are tied up 17-17 thanks in part to two Garcia 3-pointers. A&M had a run where they went 1-for-7 but have since come out of the struggle to go on a 6-0 run to tie the game.
15:44 1H: Texas A&M 7, Michigan 6
The Aggies go into the first media timeout with a one-point lead after a tough back-and-forth early going. A&M is staying with their all-senior starting lineup, as head coach Buzz Williams alluded to on Friday. However, when Payne was inserted into the lineup, he immediately became a focal point for the Aggies, getting two shots and scoring three of their seven points.
Texas A&M basketball vs Michigan starters
Texas A&M’s starting lineup
- G – Hayden Hefner
- G – Wade Taylor IV
- G – Manny Obaseki
- F – Andersson Garcia
- F – Henry Coleman III
Michigan’s starting lineup
- G – Tre Donaldson
- G – Nimari Burnett
- G – Rubin Jones
- F – Danny Wolf
- C – Vladislav Goldin
When does Texas A&M play Michigan?
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Date: March 22
Location: Ball Arena in Denver.
How to watch, listen to Texas A&M vs Michigan on Saturday
TV channel: CBS
Radio: 1370 AM.
Texas A&M men’s basketball and Michigan will be broadcast and streamed on CBS. Other streaming options for the game include ESPN and Fubo.
Reach Texas A&M Beat Reporter Tony Catalina via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
