DENVER -- Pharrel Payne had a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Wade Taylor IV had 16 points, and No. 4 seed Texas A&M beat No. 13 seed Yale 80-71 in the first round of the South Region on Thursday night. Jace Carter added 10 points for the Aggies (23-10), who will face the winner of UC San Diego-Michigan in the second round on Saturday night. John Poulakidas scored 23 points, Nick Townsend had 15, Isaac Celiscar finished with 12 points and Casey Simmons contributed 11 points for the Bulldogs. Yale (22-8) could not duplicate its 2024 first-round upset of a fourth-seeded SEC team.
Pharrel Payne, Texas A&M fight off Yale's upset bid
