DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 17: Tramon Mark #12 of the Texas Longhorns makes the game-winning basket as Tre Holloman #5 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack defends during the First Four round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament held at UD Arena on March 17, 2026 in Dayton, Ohio.

Texas survives NC State in First Four, will face BYU in Round 1

The Associated Press

1 month ago

Ben Solomon / NCAA Photos / Getty

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Tramon Mark hit a fadeaway jumper from just inside the 3-point line with 1.1 seconds left, and Texas survived a late rally to beat N.C. State 68-66 on Tuesday night in a First Four matchup of power-conference teams that limped into March Madness.

Mark scored 17 points to lead the Longhorns (19-14), who had lost five of six entering the NCAA Tournament. Texas moved into the bracket as the No. 11 seed in the West region and will face sixth-seeded BYU on Thursday night in Portland, Oregon.

Coach Sean Miller’s Longhorns led 62-53 on Chendall Weaver’s two free throws with 2:56 left, but the Wolfpack (20-14) — who also lost five of six before getting sent to Dayton — scored 10 points in a span of 1:12. Paul McNeil Jr. hit two 3s before Mark beat the shot clock with a fadeaway.

ARE YOU KIDDING!!!

TEXAS GOES BACK IN FRONT 😱 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/UE1EUjYjLc
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2026

Darrion Williams connected from deep to get N.C. State within one. The Wolfpack then forced a turnover by Dailyn Swain, and Tre Holloman made one of two free throws to tie it at 66-all.

Texas ran down most of the game clock before Mark connected from 19 feet, and N.C. State couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.

Mark finished with 17 points, Matas Vokietaitis scored 15 and Swain added 13 for the Longhorns. Weaver recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Darrion Williams led the Wolfpack with 21 points. Quadir Copeland scored 16 and McNeil finished with 11.

It was the second meeting this season between the schools. Texas beat N.C. State 102-97 on Nov. 26 to claim fifth place in the Maui Invitational. Tuesday night’s game was more of a defensive struggle.

The Longhorns built a 25-15 lead but then went scoreless over the final 4:06 of the first half. The Wolfpack finished the half on a 14-5 run to cut their deficit to 30-29 at halftime.

Up next

Texas is the third school Miller has taken to March Madness, and he'll have to devise a plan to contain one of the best players in the country, BYU's AJ Dybantsa.

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AP March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness