The Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team defeated Brigham Young University 79-71 in the NCAA Tournament First Round on March 20, advancing to the West Region Second Round. The game took place at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
The win allows Texas to continue its postseason run and face No. 3 seed Gonzaga on Saturday, March 21. This marks the fourth time in five seasons that Texas has reached at least the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis led Texas with a team-high 23 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, becoming the first player in program history to record at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament contest. Graduate Tramon Mark contributed 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a career-high four blocks. Junior Dailyn Swain added 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, and one steal while senior Jordan Pope scored 11 points with two boards and two assists.
Texas established an early lead but faced several challenges from BYU throughout the game. After building a cushion with an eight-point run midway through the first half, Texas maintained control despite BYU’s attempts to close the gap. In the second half, BYU narrowed the deficit multiple times before Texas responded with key runs and defensive stops. Mark secured the victory by making four free throws in the final seconds.
With this result, Texas improved its all-time NCAA Tournament record to an even split over forty appearances and reached its twentieth win for the thirty-sixth time in program history. The Longhorns also outperformed BYU on rebounds (40-31) and limited their opponent’s shooting percentage both overall and from three-point range.
Looking ahead, Texas will play Gonzaga for a chance to advance further into tournament play.
