In the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday, No. 12 Texas A&M defeated Penn State 89-77, with Henry Coleman III scoring 24 points and Wade Taylor IV adding 23.
Tyrece Radford contributed 14 points for the Aggies (5-0), who were avenging their loss to the Nittany Lions in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Penn State managed to close the gap to three points several times in the second half, but key plays from Taylor and Coleman helped Texas A&M secure the win.
Coleman particularly shone in the second half, scoring 16 points, including two crucial 3-point plays.
Radford’s 10 points in the first half helped Texas A&M establish a 39-32 halftime lead, with 24 points coming from layups in the paint and nine from free throws.
Penn State’s Nick Kern Jr. displayed offensive prowess in the second half, scoring all nine of his points with an impressive dunk and a strong driving layup.
Meanwhile, Taylor and Radford have been standout players for Texas A&M this season, with a combined four 20-point games and nine double-figure efforts in the team’s first five games.
In the next round, Penn State will face the loser of the matchup between No. 19 Florida Atlantic and Butler, while Texas A&M advances to the semifinals against the winner of the same matchup.
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