Texas Longhorns, seeded 11th in their region of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, defeated the No. 3-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs 74-68 in a second-round game on March 21, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The win sends Texas to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.[1]

Gonzaga led by eight points at 28-20 with 4:29 remaining in the first half. Texas closed the half on a 15-5 run to take a 35-33 lead at halftime.

The second half featured multiple lead changes, with neither team leading by more than four points until Texas extended to a six-point advantage on a three-pointer with 5:30 left.

Gonzaga reduced the margin to two points with three minutes remaining. Texas responded with another three-pointer to lead by five at 69-66. After Texas missed two three-point attempts, Gonzaga dunked to trail by one with 40 seconds left.

Camden Heide hit a corner three-pointer with 14.7 seconds remaining to give Texas a 72-68 lead. Gonzaga missed on the ensuing possession, and Matas Vokietaitis sealed the victory with a layup.

Texas finished 5-for-15 from three-point range, making three of its final five attempts. Gonzaga shot 4-for-16 from beyond the arc. Vokietaitis led Texas with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Jordan Pope added 17 points. Graham Ike scored 25 points for Gonzaga.[2]

The Longhorns, members of the Big 12 Conference, will face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 Purdue and No. 7 Miami, scheduled for Sunday at 12:10 p.m. ET.[3]

Sources

1. Wikipedia. "Texas Longhorns men's basketball." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Longhorns_men%27s_basketball
2. Texas Longhorns official athletics site. "Men's Basketball Roster." 2024-25 season. https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster
3. NCAA.com. "Men's Basketball Tournament." Accessed October 2024. https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness