Updated on: March 22, 2025 / 9:09 PM EDT / AP
Michigan is going back to the Sweet 16 a year after a 24-loss season, using Roddy Gayle’s surge to beat Texas A&M 91-79 on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.
Gayle scored 21 of his season-high 26 points in the second half to help the restocked Wolverines overcome a 10-point deficit and advance to Atlanta to face the Auburn-Creighton winner in the South Region.
Vladislav Goldin had 23 points and 12 rebounds as fifth-seeded Michigan (27-9) overcame another big day for Pharrel Payne, who led Texas A&M with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
In two NCAA games at Ball Arena, Payne scored 51 points on 20-of-25 shooting and pulled down 15 rebounds.
The Wolverines, who made a surprising run to the Big Ten tournament title, won for the fifth time in nine days. The fourth-seeded Aggies (23-11) were playing for just the second time in nine days, but they were the ones who looked exhausted at elevation by game’s end.
The Aggies missed eight of their last nine shots and the Wolverines closed on a 9-0 run after two free throws by Zhuric Phelps pulled Texas A&M to 82-79 with 1:29 remaining.
Two years ago, Goldin was a key player on FAU’s Final Four team. When Michigan fired coach Juwan Howard and hired Dusty May away from FAU a year ago, the new coach brought his old center with him to Ann Arbor.
Together, they orchestrated the Wolverines’ turnaround from an 8-24 campaign in Howard’s final season to finish second in the Big Ten, followed by a conference tournament title and highlighted by another March Madness run.
DENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 22: The Michigan Wolverines celebrate after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Ball Arena on March 22, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Texas A&M entered the day as the nation’s top offensive rebounding team, but the Wolverines beat the school at its own game, pulling down 16 offensive boards to the Aggies’ 15.
Goldin gave Michigan a 35-34 lead when he sank a pair of free throws coming out of a timeout with 2:18 left in the first half, but the Wolverines missed their last seven shots and trailed 39-35 at the break after a putback by Payne and a 3-pointer from C.J. Wilcher. They fell behind 60-50 before their comeback.
Michigan will face the winner of Saturday night’s matchup between Auburn and Creighton.
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