Graduate guard Tramon Mark made a game-winning shot with 1.1 seconds left to give Texas a 68-66 victory over North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament First Four at University of Dayton Arena on March 18. With this win, Texas advances to face BYU in the NCAA West Region First Round in Portland on March 19.
The result is significant as it keeps Texas’s postseason hopes alive and marks their first buzzer-beater in an NCAA Tournament since 2014. The Longhorns now hold a 41-42 record across their 40 tournament appearances and improved their all-time series against NC State to five wins and two losses.
Mark led the team with 17 points, shooting seven for fourteen from the field, including two three-pointers, while also contributing five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. This was his fifth career collegiate game-winning basket. Senior Chendall Weaver achieved his first career double-double with eleven points and ten rebounds. Sophomore Matas Vokietaitis added fifteen points and eight rebounds, while junior Dailyn Swain contributed thirteen points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Texas controlled much of the game, leading for more than thirty-five minutes compared to just over four minutes by NC State. The Longhorns out-rebounded their opponents by twelve (45-33), including a strong showing on offensive boards (15-7). They also had advantages in bench scoring (15-4) and second-chance points (13-9).
The contest saw several momentum shifts. After building early leads through runs sparked by players like Camden Heide and Weaver, Texas faced pressure as NC State closed gaps multiple times throughout both halves. In the final moments, after NC State tied the score at sixty-six with eighteen seconds remaining, Mark drove from the top of the key to hit an eighteen-foot jumper from the right wing for the win.
Looking ahead, Texas will play BYU on March 19 at Moda Center in Portland. The game is scheduled for national broadcast on TBS.
