Ad Disclosure
Michigan rolls into Sweet 16 after major 2nd-half comeback vs. Texas A&M
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan faced Texas A&M on Saturday with a shot at the Sweet 16 on the line. With the two teams facing off as the 5-seed and 4-seed, respectively, in the South Region, the matchup proved to be among the most evenly matched in the tournament.
The action on the court lived up to the level billing, though it was Texas A&M securing a 39-35 lead at halftime. The Aggies would push their lead to as many as 10 points in the 2nd half, but Buzz Williams’s group was unable to put things away.
In fact, A&M and Michigan both held significant leads in the 2nd half with the Wolverines pushing all the way to a 9-point lead before the Aggies would make it closer until the final minute. At that point, the Wolverines were able to regain their footing and put the finishing touches on the upset win, 91-79.
The big difference between the two halves came down to Michigan’s offense. At the break, A&M was holding the Wolverines to just 36.1% shooting from the floor with both teams nearly level in terms of rebounding on the glass. The Aggies were not much any better from the field before the break but were a hair better from 3-point range.
After halftime, the Aggie defense could not find an answer for Michigan’s interior game with Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin combining for 19 points. However, Roddy Gayle Jr. was the major x-factor, scoring 21 of his 26 points in the 2nd half, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
As a team, Michigan shot 51.7% from the floor in the 2nd half as the Aggies finished 40.6% from the floor and 21.4% from 3-point range after halftime. The Wolverines won the 2nd half by a 56-40 margin to roll past the Aggies and into the Sweet 16 after just 8 wins for the program a season ago.
Pharrel Payne led the Aggies and tied for the game-high mark in scoring with 26 points. Wade Taylor IV added 14 for A&M but finished just 4-for-15 from the field and 1-for-8 from 3-point range in the loss.
Along with Gayle’s 26 points, Goldin chipped in a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Wolverines with 3 blocks and a 9-for-11 effort from the free-throw line. As a team, Michigan shot 10 more free throws than Texas A&M, and the Wolverines capitalized while shooting 29-for-36 from the stripe.
As A&M heads home, Michigan continues the Big Ten‘s dominant 10-0 start to March Madness. The Wolverines join fellow Big Ten squad Purdue as teams to punch a ticket to the 2nd weekend of the tournament while Arkansas is the first SEC team to advance thus far.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.