When folks think of March Madness, they often think of sharpshooters: the players that get hot from behind the arc and make-or-break entire teams’ seasons with their 3-point shot.
Sure, the iconic NCAA Tournament get hot from deep schtick had its moments — such as graduate guard Wade Taylor IV’s last-second 3-pointer to end the first half — but in 4-seed Texas A&M men’s basketball’s 80-71 win over 13-seed Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Denver, the spotlight fell on a different sort of hero.
Junior forward Pharrel Payne led all scorers with a career-high 25 points and added 10 rebounds for a double-double, as the Aggies pounded the paint and hounded the Bulldogs with their inside game.
“I’m proud to say he’s my big man,” Taylor said. “ … That’s just a testament to what he’s done all year. He’s been consistent all year, and we’re really, really excited that he’s on our team.”
Payne had his own series of “One Shining Moment”-worthy moments — with multiple dunks straight out of NBA Jam, including an alley-oop off of a lob from Taylor in the first half that had the traveling 12th Man roaring.
GET UP 2️⃣1️⃣!#MarchMadness @aggiembk https://t.co/7CKLKVeDu3 pic.twitter.com/3aTxZS67CK
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025
“I remember watching him in an auxiliary gym at eight o’clock in the morning on a non-shoe company-sponsored team,” coach Buzz Williams said. “I love the spirit. I don’t know that I’ve ever been around a player that’s as extroverted as he is, that’s also so pure in how he processes life.”
Under-dawg mentality
Despite being a high seed, A&M thought of itself as an underdog headed into the Aggies’ matchup against the 13-seed Bulldogs.
It was not entirely unwarranted. After Yale upset 4-seed Auburn in last year’s edition of March Madness, the Bulldogs had become a trendy upset pick among college basketball aficionados and casual fans alike.
As Yale cut the A&M lead down to a mere six points with just under nine minutes left in the game, they drew the crowd into the game as Ball Arena quickly turned into a hostile environment for the Aggies.
Enter stage right, senior G Jace Carter.
The former UIC star nailed a 3-pointer to silence the crowd, and after a block on the other end from senior F Andersson Garcia, grabbed an offensive rebound and made a quick putback to put a stop to Yale’s best chance to rally.
“Opportunities always present themselves,” Carter said. “That’s kind of what I’ve been preaching to myself, and how my teammates have preached to me … just stay ready. So I’m happy I was able to make an impact on the team.”
It was a vindicating moment for Carter, who’s had an up-and-down year, averaging less than four points per game.
“I’m so happy for his family, who believed in us when literally there was no reason to believe in us,” Williams said. “ … I was in real time telling him how happy I was for him and how proud I was of him.”
Battle on the glass
A&M entered the night as the nation’s top offensive rebounding team — but fans wouldn’t have known it from the first half.
The Aggies finished the first period out-rebounding the Ivy Leaguers just 16-15 and dead even in offensive rebounds, an early cause for concern that was somewhat lessened by the Maroon and White’s whopping 59% first-half shooting percentage.
However, the second half saw a shift as A&M ended up with a 37-29 advantage on the glass, aided by three-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year senior G Bez Mbeng fouling out late in the game.
“Overall, I guess some of the balls just went their way,” Mbeng said. “ … I guess they outhustled us on some of them as well. Credit to them on that.”
Next, the Aggies turn their attention to their next game in the second round against 5-seed Michigan as they look to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 2018 on Saturday.
