Texas A&M upsets Saint Mary’s 63-50 in 2026 NCAA Tournament First Round
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 19: Bucky McMillan of the Texas A&M Aggies celebrates with Rashaun Agee #12 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Saint Mary's Gaels hel
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - Texas A&M turned a fast start into a complete performance, defeating Saint Mary’s 63-50 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.
Texas A&M dominates Saint Mary’s in fast start
What we know:
The Aggies controlled the game from the jump, having a 16-point lead at one point in the first half. The 11-point lead going into the half for the Aggies came from a remarkable defensive performance, accumulating six team steals.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 19: Paulius Murauskas #23 of the Saint Mary's Gaels and Ali Dibba #6 of the Texas A&M Aggies battle for a loose ball during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Pay
Their defensive pressure and rebounding proved decisive, as Texas A&M forced turnovers and capitalized on second-chance opportunities throughout. Texas A&M’s edge on the glass also played a critical role in the first half, as the Aggies created extra possessions that helped maintain their lead and control the tempo.
Rashaun Agee leads Aggies
Rashaun Agee led the Aggies with a standout performance, finishing with 22 points and 9 rebounds, continuing his dominant late-season surge.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 19: Andrew McKeever #45 of the Saint Mary's Gaels pressures Rashaun Agee #12 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 i
Ruben Dominguez added key perimeter scoring, knocking down multiple 3-pointers and helping stretch Saint Mary’s defense. He finished with 11 points at the end of the night.
Saint Mary’s struggles to overcome Aggies’ Intensity
Dig deeper:
Saint Mary’s was unable to recover after a slow start. The Gaels, who shot 46.2% on the season, found it difficult to generate any consistent offense and battled turnovers all game, an area that has typically been a strength for them. Saint Mary’s is 7-2 when winning the turnover battle but found itself on the losing end on Thursday.
Despite entering as slight favorites, Saint Mary’s could not overcome Texas A&M’s physicality. The Gaels, who had gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, were unable to match the Aggies’ intensity for a full 40 minutes.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 19: Joshua Dent #7 of the Saint Mary's Gaels reacts during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Okla
Sophomore guard Joshua Dent finished with 18 points, 12 of those points coming off of shots from beyond the arc.
Texas A&M advances
What's next:
With the win, Texas A&M advances to the second round, carrying momentum after one of its most complete performances of the season.
The Aggies will face the winner of the Houston and Idaho match-up, as they look to continue their NCAA Tournament run.
The Source: Information in this article was from live coverage of the NCAA Tournament.