Texas A&M run rules Red Flash in tournament opener
It was a dreadful opener for Saint Francis, who rode plenty of momentum into the NCAA Tournament. It's the team's seventh trip to the regionals in eight seasons, but for this young team, the stage and lights shone too brightly.
'That is certainly not something that satisfies them how we played today,' said head coach Beth Krysiak. 'So the talk in the huddle was our season's not done. We had to fight to be in-season as long as humanly possible. And so all we got to do now is show the fight that we've had all season, throughout the chaos we've been put through. And so it's a little more chaos and a little more fight.'
Saint Francis struggled for a good chunk of the 2025 campaign, only to catch fire down the stretch, winning 11 of its last 12 games, including the NEC championship, but no team on its schedule compares to the Aggies who shared the SEC title with Oklahoma en route to a 45-9 season.
With the win, Texas A&M advances to play Liberty in a regional semifinal Saturday, while Saint Francis will face elimination against Marist. The game is Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
'They see me fitting right in': 2026 4-star TE explains why he chose Texas A&M
On Friday afternoon, Texas A&M gained its 27th commit in the 2026 recruiting class, beating out Iowa State and Notre Dame for four-star tight end Evan Jacobson out of Waukee, Iowa, who plans to play football and basketball with the Aggies as soon as he makes his way to campus. OC Collin Klein and TE coach Christian Ellsworth deserve a bulk of the credit for winning the battle over the last few weeks, as Klein's tight end-centric system, combined with Texas A&M basketball head coach Bucky McMillan's fast-pased, high scoring offense was too much to pass up, which he further explained during his recent interview with 247Sports' Dushawn London. The SEC is considered the best conference in football, baseball, and basketball, and Jacobson, who could have easily chosen the simpler route of staying close to home and playing for the Cyclones, feels the Aggies offer him a chance to see the field and court by his second year on campus. "It makes the most sense because the people, the players, the staff, and the schemes," Jacobson stated. "SEC football and basketball is where you want to be right now." Notre Dame and Iowa State both secured tight end commitments in the 2026 cycle, while Jacobson now joins four-star Caleb Tafua and three-star athlete Kaeden Johnson, who will play tight end for the Aggies. Scheme-wise, Jacobson noted that he can "do it all," including blocking in the run game and pass protection, and should become a playmaker as a hybrid receiver once he gets through his freshman season. On the court, Jacobson, whose brother, Michael Jacobson, was a star basketball player for Iowa State, feels that McMillan's high-tempo offense fits perfectly with his skillset as a shooter and defender. "Coach McMillian likes how I stretch the floor, shoot, handle the ball, and play multiple positions," Jacobson stated. "They see me fitting right in." Overall, this is a win-win for Texas A&M Athletics, bringing in a prospect with unlimited potential in both sports and joining at the cusp of what could be the start of greatness under two coaching staffs dedicated to building a winning program. According to On3, Jacobson is currently positioned as the 14th-ranked tight end prospect in the 2026 cycle and the 3rd-ranked prospect in Iowa. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Saniyah Hall, No. 1 recruit in 2026, commits to USC
Saniyah Hall, considered the No. 1 prospect in the women's basketball Class of 2026, committed to Southern California on Friday. "I would say it felt like home," Hall said in her announcement on ESPN. "The girls there are so fun to be around. The coaches ... have high support, but (head coach Lindsay Gottlieb) is definitely there to just support me and I've built a relationship with her -- she's a great coach." The commitment means the Trojans have signed three of the past four players ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPNW, following JuJu Watkins (2023) and Jasmine "Jazzy" Davidson (2025). Hall chose USC over rival UCLA and North Carolina. Hall is listed at 6-foot-2 and can play guard or forward. A native of Lorain, Ohio, she transferred from Florida's Montverde Academy to SPIRE Academy in Ohio for her senior year of high school. She was named MVP at the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup this summer, where she played alongside Davidson on Team USA as they won gold. Hall averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.9 steals in the tournament. Gottlieb has led USC to No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. The Trojans fell in the Elite Eight both times. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
17 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M is reportedly trailing one team in pursuit of 2026 4-star WR
Texas A&M's 2026 recruiting class features three of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 cycle, as four-star Aaron Gregory, Madden Williams, and Mike Brown have all shut down their recruitment and are expected to seal the deal with the program during Early Signing Day on December 4. However, head coach Mike Elko, OC Collin Klein, and WR coach Holmon Wiggins are looking to land one more elite pass catcher next month. After missing out on four-star wide receiver Ethan "Boobie" Feaster, who committed to USC earlier this month, Elko and his staff are eyeing the top route runner in the class, as four-star Mississippi native Jace Mathews will anounce his commitment on August 8, and has narrowed his list to Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Mathews has taken official visits to all four finalists, but it's been unclear who is truly leading heading into next month. On Friday, 247Sports recruiting insider Tom Loy (Subscription Required) provided more clarity, stating that Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and LSU, in that order, are where things stand from an "optimism" standpoint. "After that, Texas A&M seems to have some optimism as well. Not nearly to the level of Auburn, but they are up there. They have done a great job of showing him what a future looks like in College Station, and that has resonated well with him and his family. Coach Wiggins does a tremendous job recruiting the receiver position, and he is very difficult to beat." While Texas A&M is reportedly 1B to Auburn's 1A, 2026 5-star WR Tristen Keys, who is currently committed to LSU, is a candidate to flip to either A&M or Tennessee, which could shake up Mathew's final decision, and if Mathews commits to Auburn, I'd expect Elko and Wiggins to go hard after Keys this fall, especially if Mathews shuts down his recruitment. Still, the Aggies are in a good spot heading into his commitment, and still have a solid chance at pulling off another surprise commitment and solidifying the program's future wide receiver rotation that already looks borderline elite on paper. During his 2024 junior season, Mathews reeled in 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns, and will more than likely play in the slot at the next level. According to 247Sports, Mathews is currently positioned as the 191st-ranked prospect in the 2026 cycle, the 27th-ranked wide receiver, and the 9th-ranked prospect in Mississippi. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
