COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In a solid performance, Wade Taylor IV contributed 15 points while teammates Pharrel Payne and Henry Coleman III each scored 10, leading No. 22 Texas A&M to a 57-44 victory over Wake Forest on Tuesday night.

Hunter Sallis was the standout for Wake Forest, scoring a game-high 19 points, with Davin Cosby adding 11 points to the total.

Texas A&M (now at 7-2 for the season) managed to shoot 39% from the field, completing 19 of 49 attempts, while Wake Forest (7-3) struggled significantly, hitting only 28% of their shots with 17 of 60 successful attempts.

The Aggies established their lead of 47-42 with just under seven minutes remaining when Taylor executed a timely steal, followed by a dunk from Coleman that pushed A&M’s lead to a commanding seven points.

Interestingly, Wake Forest had started strong, holding a seven-point lead early in the game but eventually found themselves trailing by halftime. Andersson Garcia of Texas A&M was a rebounding machine, pulling down a game-high total of 16 boards.

Key Observations:
For Texas A&M, the usually energetic squad seemed somewhat sluggish after a hectic schedule that included three games in the past week, notably a close 81-77 win against Rutgers during the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. However, the Aggies relished their return home after a 13-day absence from their court, which contributed to their third consecutive win.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest could not maintain the momentum from their recent 57-51 triumph over Minnesota on Friday during the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida. Sallis rebounded from a rough outing against Minnesota where he managed just 1 of 11 shooting.

Key Moment:
In a crucial play just before halftime, Taylor sank a banked 3-pointer with 25 seconds on the clock, leading the Aggies to a slight 29-26 advantage at the break.

Stat Highlight:
A significant factor in Texas A&M’s success was their free-throw shooting, converting 14 of 17 attempts for an impressive 82%, which was 14% higher than their normal average prior to the game.

Upcoming Matches:
Next, the Aggies will take on Texas Tech this Sunday in a neutral-site contest at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, which formerly hosted teams from the Southwest Conference and the Big 12. The Demon Deacons are set to face Boston College on Saturday, marking the start of their ACC campaign.