“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”.
~Ferris Bueller
Texas has already landed in Portland, just a few hours after playing in Dayton, OH.
DAYTON, Ohio — With 1.1 seconds left and the NCAA Tournament hanging in the balance, graduate guard Tramon Mark stepped up like a cool calm veteran. The right-wing 18-footer had the perfect arc and the ball swooshed through the net, lifting the No. 11 seed Texas Longhorns to a heart-stopping 68-66 victory over No. 11 seed NC State in the First Four at University of Dayton Arena on Tuesday night.
Though Texas escaped a technical foul after Mark hit the basket. Whew, that was close and everyone is talking about the day after.
It was Mark’s fifth career collegiate game-winning basket — and the first buzzer-beater by Texas in an NCAA Tournament game since Cameron Ridley’s put-back in 2014. The Longhorns (19-14) advance to the West Region First Round, where they will face No. 6 seed BYU on Thursday, March 19 at 6:25 p.m. Central in Portland on TBS.
Mark finished with a team-high 17 points (7-of-14 FG, 2-of-5 from three), five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 33 minutes. But the final shot will be remembered forever.
“Tramon has been in these moments before,” Texas head coach said in the official post-game notes. “He’s ice.”
The game was a back-and-forth classic that featured seven lead changes and multiple momentum swings. Texas jumped out to a 9-2 lead with a 9-0 run capped by a Camden Heide three-pointer. The Longhorns pushed the advantage to 25-15 midway through the first half, but NC State closed the period on a 6-0 run to trail just 30-29 at halftime.
NC State briefly took its first lead of the night (34-32) early in the second half on a Paul McNeil Jr. three-pointer. Texas responded with a 7-0 spurt, then built a 62-53 cushion with 2:56 remaining. The Wolfpack answered with a furious 13-3 run to tie it at 66-66 on a Tre Holloman free throw with 18 seconds left.
That set the stage for Mark’s heroics. He took the inbounds, dribbled from the top of the key to the right wing, rose up and drained the dagger.
Key Performances and Team Dominance
Senior Chendall Weaver delivered the first double-double of his career with 11 points (3-of-5 FG, 5-of-6 FT) and a career-high-tying 10 rebounds (four offensive) in 27 minutes. Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis added 15 points and eight rebounds (four offensive). Junior Dailyn Swain chipped in 13 points (8-of-9 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in a game-high 38 minutes.
As a team, Texas controlled the glass with a 45-33 rebounding advantage (plus-12 margin, including 15-7 offensive). The Longhorns also won the bench battle 15-4 and held the lead for 35:14 of game time compared to just 4:13 for NC State. Defensively, Texas limited the Wolfpack to 39.0% shooting (23-of-59) while forcing 10 turnovers.
Historic Notes and What’s Next
The win improved Texas to 41-42 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 5-2 in the series against NC State. It also marked the Longhorns’ 23rd game this season with double-digit offensive rebounds.
Mark now has two game-winners in his Texas career after previously delivering two at Houston and one at Arkansas.
Next up: a date with BYU in the Round of 64. The Longhorns will travel to Portland with momentum, confidence and the knowledge that they can win ugly, dramatic games when March Madness demands it.
Texas is alive. And Tramon Mark just reminded the entire country why.
The Texas Longhorns are in Portland Oregon right now!
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