Pharrel Payne's big game helps No. 17 Texas A&M pull away from No. 11 Purdue 70-66
AP
Dec 14, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Zhuric Phelps and Pharrel Payne each scored 16 points Saturday to lead No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies past No. 11 Purdue Boilermakers 70-66 in the first of two games at the Indy Classic.
The Aggies (9-2) have won five straight. Payne had season-high totals in points and rebounds with nine. All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV finished with 15 points and five assists before an injury forced him to leave with 1:36 to play.
Braden Smith led the Boilermakers (8-3) with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Fletcher Loyer had 12 points as Purdue lost for the second time in three games.
It was a physical contest between two teams who thrive on rebounding with bodies repeatedly hitting the floor and multiple players departing with injuries. Smith left briefly in the first half when his head appeared to hit Payne's knee, and the refs stopped play for Taylor when he struggled to dribble past midcourt. Taylor did not return.
Texas A&M's defense swung the game by keeping the Boilermakers scoreless for a stretch of 6:35 in the second half, allowing the Aggies to extend a two-point lead to 62-50.
Texas A&M: The Aggies rebound and defend as well as any team in the country. That devastating combination helped the team pin a rare non-conference loss on Purdue - and added a strong line to their NCAA Tournament resume.
Purdue: The Boilermakers' bugaboo this season has been turnovers and that was the case again Saturday. Purdue struggled for long stretches in the second half and committed another 16 turnovers, giving it 48 in its last three games.
After Purdue trimmed a seven-point deficit to 52-50, the Aggies held the Boilermakers and scored 10 straight points to extend the lead to 62-50 with 4:44 to play.
Purdue had its third-lowest shooting percentage of the season (45.3%). Texas A&M has held all 11 of its opponents below their season averages.
The Aggies return to action Friday night when they host Houston Christian. Purdue faces yet another ranked foe, No. 2 Auburn, next Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.
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1st Half
TXAM
Aggies
38
PUR
Boilermakers
35
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Solomon Washington vs. Trey Kaufman-Renn (Zhuric Phelps gains possession)
19:51
Henry Coleman III turnover (bad pass) (Trey Kaufman-Renn steals)
19:38
Myles Colvin misses three point jump shot
19:34
Aggies defensive rebound
19:21
Fletcher Loyer personal foul (Hayden Hefner draws the foul)
19:04
Myles Colvin shooting foul (Zhuric Phelps draws the foul)
19:04
+1
Zhuric Phelps makes regular free throw 1 of 2
1-0
19:04
+1
Zhuric Phelps makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-0
18:40
Camden Heide misses three point jump shot
18:38
Pharrel Payne defensive rebound
18:20
Solomon Washington turnover (bad pass) (Camden Heide steals)
18:13
+2
Fletcher Loyer makes two point jump shot (Braden Smith assists)
2-2
18:01
Wade Taylor IV misses three point jump shot
17:59
Solomon Washington offensive rebound
17:54
Solomon Washington turnover (lost ball) (Braden Smith steals)
17:34
Braden Smith offensive foul (Wade Taylor IV draws the foul)
17:34
Braden Smith turnover (offensive foul)
17:09
+3
Zhuric Phelps makes three point jump shot (Wade Taylor IV assists)
5-2
16:35
Hayden Hefner shooting foul (Braden Smith draws the foul)
16:35
Official timeout
16:35
+1
Trey Kaufman-Renn makes regular free throw 1 of 2
5-3
16:35
+1
Trey Kaufman-Renn makes regular free throw 2 of 2
5-4
16:26
+2
Pharrel Payne makes two point running alley-oop dunk (Zhuric Phelps assists)
7-4
16:02
+2
Fletcher Loyer makes two point pullup jump shot
7-6
15:41
+2
Wade Taylor IV makes two point driving layup
9-6
15:10
Myles Colvin misses three point jump shot
15:08
Wade Taylor IV defensive rebound
15:01
Hayden Hefner misses three point jump shot
14:59
Myles Colvin defensive rebound
14:58
Myles Colvin turnover (bad pass) (Solomon Washington steals)
14:58
Solomon Washington turnover (traveling)
14:58
TV timeout
14:33
Andersson Garcia shooting foul (Trey Kaufman-Renn draws the foul)
14:33
+1
Trey Kaufman-Renn makes regular free throw 1 of 2
9-7
14:33
+1
Trey Kaufman-Renn makes regular free throw 2 of 2
9-8
14:23
Zhuric Phelps misses two point jump shot
14:21
Camden Heide defensive rebound
14:14
+2
Fletcher Loyer makes two point driving floating jump shot
9-10
14:14
Official timeout
14:01
Andersson Garcia misses two point layup
13:59
Aggies offensive rebound
13:56
+3
Andersson Garcia makes three point jump shot (Wade Taylor IV assists)
12-10
13:33
Braden Smith turnover (bad pass)
13:27
+3
Wade Taylor IV makes three point jump shot (CJ Wilcher assists)
15-10
13:01
Gicarri Harris misses three point jump shot
12:59
CJ Wilcher defensive rebound
12:38
+2
Wade Taylor IV makes two point stepback jump shot
17-10
12:38
Boilermakers 30 second timeout
12:18
+3
Braden Smith makes three point running pullup jump shot
17-13
12:08
Wade Taylor IV misses three point jump shot
12:06
Braden Smith defensive rebound
11:57
Braden Smith turnover (lost ball) (Wade Taylor IV steals)
11:32
Henry Coleman III turnover (lost ball) (Caleb Furst steals)
11:17
+3
Braden Smith makes three point jump shot (Myles Colvin assists)
17-16
11:10
Official timeout
11:10
TV timeout
10:51
+3
Zhuric Phelps makes three point jump shot (Manny Obaseki assists)
20-16
10:24
Myles Colvin misses three point jump shot
10:22
Henry Coleman III defensive rebound
10:01
Henry Coleman III turnover (lost ball) (Braden Smith steals)
9:56
+2
Fletcher Loyer makes two point cutting layup (Myles Colvin assists)
20-18
9:38
+2
Andersson Garcia makes two point reverse layup (Manny Obaseki assists)
22-18
9:08
Andersson Garcia shooting foul (Myles Colvin draws the foul)
9:08
+1
Myles Colvin makes regular free throw 1 of 2
22-19
9:08
+1
Myles Colvin makes regular free throw 2 of 2
22-20
8:47
Will Berg blocks Solomon Washington's two point layup
8:45
Boilermakers defensive rebound
8:27
Braden Smith misses two point jump shot
8:25
Jace Carter defensive rebound
8:11
+2
Pharrel Payne makes two point layup (Jace Carter assists)
24-20
7:45
Braden Smith misses three point jump shot
7:43
C.J. Cox offensive rebound
7:42
+2
C.J. Cox makes two point putback layup
24-22
7:19
Will Berg shooting foul (Pharrel Payne draws the foul)
7:19
TV timeout
7:19
Pharrel Payne misses regular free throw 1 of 2
7:19
+1
Pharrel Payne makes regular free throw 2 of 2
25-22
6:51
+3
C.J. Cox makes three point jump shot (Trey Kaufman-Renn assists)
25-25
6:45
C.J. Cox personal foul (Jace Carter draws the foul)