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Adam Rittenberg
Multiple Authors
DAYTON, Ohio — The tension was mounting for the Texas team in Dayton, Ohio.
Struggling with the defensive pressure and the weight of the situation, the Longhorns surrendered their advantage. What had been their strongest defensive display all year seemed on the verge of being squandered, as NC State leveled the score at 66 with just 20.8 seconds remaining in Tuesday night’s First Four contest at UD Arena.
Texas coach Sean Miller commented, “During March Madness, competing in this competition, the immense significance of progressing or being eliminated can occasionally overwhelm a participant’s mental state.”
However, sixth-year veteran Tramon Mark maintained unwavering focus. With the clock winding down, Mark found a favorable opening, despite Tre Holloman of NC State closing in. He launched a shot from the right wing, and it smoothly passed through the net with 1.1 seconds remaining. Texas emerged victorious 68-66, extending their season for a bit longer.
As the 11th seed, the Longhorns moved on to compete against the 6th seed BYU in an initial West region game during the NCAA tournament, scheduled for Thursday in Portland, Oregon.
Texas guard Chendall Weaver stated, “I defend T-Mark daily in practice, and he consistently drains those shots against me.”
This time, Holloman was bested by Mark. Mark concluded the game with a leading 17 points for his team, with four of those coming in the last 37 seconds after NC State’s outside shooting started to connect.
ESPN Research indicated that Mark’s decisive jumper was his fourth career shot to seal a game with under five seconds left, and his first such achievement since 2025 versus Texas A&M.
Mark commented, “This particular shot is certainly my personal favorite. Considering the flow and atmosphere of the match, where we held a significant lead, then they began sinking baskets, I managed to quiet the spectators with such a crucial shot.”
Key shots emerged late for both squads, following a contest that bore little resemblance to their initial encounter. In their November match at the Maui Invitational, Texas and NC State collectively scored 199 points and hit 25 three-pointers, with the winning Longhorns contributing 16 of those.
Tuesday’s game adopted a starkly different character until the closing minutes. Texas failed to make a field goal for the last 8:40 of the first half, watching their comfortable lead shrink to a single point by halftime. Neither team managed to hit the 50-point mark until Texas center Matas Vokietaitis successfully converted a free throw with 7:42 left on the clock.
NC State had only netted three 3-pointers during the initial 58 minutes and 29 seconds, then equaled that total within a minute, thanks to two successful attempts from Paul McNeil Jr. and one from Darrion Williams.
Miller stated, “This could be, arguably, the initial game where I can genuinely assert our victory was due to our defensive efforts. Facing this year’s NC State squad necessitates strong perimeter defense. And upon reviewing the match, right up until its conclusion, that’s what we excelled at most, and I believe that’s something we can be proud of as we depart.”
Miller further acknowledged the narrow winning margin on Tuesday, a common occurrence throughout the NCAA tournament. He recalled instances where his teams performed at a higher level than Texas did on Tuesday in the tournament, yet were eliminated permanently.
His inaugural Longhorns squad had struggled in tight contests, suffering a devastating overtime loss to Oklahoma that concluded their regular season. Yet, Miller understands that with talents like Mark, the opportunity to continue competing always exists.
Miller remarked, “As frequently happens in this competition, individual athletes execute key plays. And our continued presence is largely attributable to Tramon Mark, who delivered two outstanding shots.”
Texas relied on Mark and Weaver, the latter achieving his inaugural career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Weaver offered crucial support from the reserves on an evening when leading scorer Dailyn Swain found difficulty with his shooting (2-for-9).
Swain expressed, “I consistently assure them I support them, and this evening, they supported me. I didn’t perform at my peak, but Chendall Weaver, who had the most influence on the court, and Travon Mark, the moment he launched that shot, I felt certain of its success.”
Miller secured a victory in the First Four for the second consecutive year, though with a distinct team. The previous year, he led Xavier to triumph over Texas in a match he described as “among the finest” he had ever seen. On this occasion, his Longhorns emerged victorious following an even more thrilling conclusion.
Despite Xavier’s team from the previous year being defeated in their first-round game against Illinois, and Texas facing an extensive journey to the West Coast, Miller recognized the benefit of having played a game and securing a win, particularly when the Longhorns weren’t operating at their optimal performance.
Miller stated, “There’s inherent strength in participating in a game during this tournament. Occasionally, an individual player or an entire squad doesn’t perform up to their usual standard. It’s simply how it can be. I hesitate to use the term ‘jitters,’ but March Madness carries significant weight. Our anxieties can sometimes dissipate after the initial game. You can acquire self-assurance… but we absolutely must perform at a higher level than we did this evening.”
