Five minutes into Texas A&M’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against Providence, the Aggies were 0-for-10 from the floor and had yet to score a point.

However, they battled back to take a 28-27 lead over the Friars at the halftime break and never looked back. In the second half, freshman G TJ Starks and the Aggies held off their Big East foes to earn a 73-69 victory.

Junior C Tyler Davis led the way with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while sophomore F Robert Williams also had a double-double, with 13 points and 14 boards. Starks had 14 points and eight assists and junior guard Admon Gilder scored a team-high 18 points.

For Providence, senior F Rodney Bullock scored a game-high 22 points in the loss.

The Aggies struggled from the free-throw line down the stretch, but it didn’t matter in this game, as they held on for the big win.

The Aggies will wait on the winner of the North Carolina-Lipscomb game this afternoon, with that game (likely against the defending champion Tar Heels) taking place on Sunday.