Eleventh-seeded Texas Longhorns defeated third-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs 74-68 in a second-round game of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 21, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The win advanced Texas to the Sweet 16.
Gonzaga held an eight-point lead at 28-20 with 4:29 left in the first half, but Texas responded with a 15-5 run to end the half ahead 35-33.
The second half featured several lead changes, with no team leading by more than four points until Texas took a six-point advantage on a three-pointer with 5:30 remaining.
Gonzaga narrowed the gap to one point with 40 seconds left after a dunk, but Camden Heide hit a corner three-pointer with 14.7 seconds to go. Matas Vokietaitis added a layup after Gonzaga missed, securing the victory.
Texas shot 5-for-15 from three-point range, making three of its last five attempts. Gonzaga made 4 of 16 from beyond the arc. Matas Vokietaitis and Jordan Pope led Texas with 17 points apiece; Vokietaitis also had nine rebounds. Graham Ike scored 25 points for Gonzaga.[1]
| Team | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Matas Vokietaitis | 17 |
| Jordan Pope | 17 | |
| Gonzaga | Graham Ike | 25 |
The University of Texas Longhorns compete in the Southeastern Conference. This marks their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2021, when they reached the Elite Eight.[2] Gonzaga, from Gonzaga University in the West Coast Conference, has now exited in the second round in consecutive tournaments following a loss to Purdue in 2024.[3]
Texas will face the winner of No. 2 Purdue versus No. 7 Miami in the Sweet 16. That game is scheduled for Sunday at 12:10 p.m. ET.
Sources
- Organization: Gonzaga Athletics
Title: Graham Ike - 2023-24 Men's Basketball
Publication date: Ongoing roster (accessed October 2024)
https://gozags.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/graham-ike/25147 - Publisher: Wikipedia
Title: Texas Longhorns men's basketball
Publication date: Accessed October 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Longhorns_men%27s_basketball - Publisher: Wikipedia
Title: Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
Publication date: Accessed October 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzaga_Bulldogs_men%27s_basketball - Publisher: Wikipedia
Title: Moda Center
Publication date: Accessed October 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center
