SPORTS

Texas advances from First Four to Sweet 16

PUBLISHED Mar 21, 2026, 4:26 PM ET

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Texas upset No. 3 Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday at the Moda Center, with Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis each scoring 17 and Camden Heide hitting a decisive 3-pointer, advancing the 11th-seeded Longhorns into the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The victory makes Texas the first First Four team in five years to reach the Sweet 16; the Longhorns (21-14) will face No. 2 seed Purdue or No. 7 seed Miami on Thursday in San Jose while Gonzaga (31-4) is eliminated.

By Daniel Hayes | JQJO News

Aggregated From:

SportsHandle Sports Illustrated

Timeline of Events

2011: NCAA Tournament expands to include First Four play-in games.
2011–2021: Several First Four teams (VCU, La Salle, Tennessee, Syracuse, UCLA) advance deep into the tournament.
Early March: Texas entered the NCAA Tournament after late-season losses and won a First Four game to join the field of 68.
Saturday: Texas defeated No. 3 Gonzaga 74-68 in Portland, with Pope and Vokietaitis scoring 17 each and Heide hitting a late three.
This Thursday: Texas will meet No. 2 Purdue or No. 7 Miami in the West Region semifinals in San Jose.

News Intelligence

If you're a Texas fan, this is a moment of pride. Your team has made history, overcoming odds to reach the Sweet
1
If you're a college basketball enthusiast, this adds an exciting twist to the tournament. Check out the next game on Thursday.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 10
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 10

Who Benefited

Texas men's basketball program, its coaching staff, players, university community, and supporters benefited from the upset win, gaining advancement to the Sweet 16, increased exposure, and potential recruiting and fundraising momentum.

Who Impacted

Gonzaga's program, players and coaching staff suffered tournament elimination after a 74-68 loss, ending their run in the West Region and concluding the Bulldogs' season.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 10
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 10
Distribution:: Left 0%, Center 100%, Right 0%

Who Benefited

Who Impacted

Gonzaga's program, players and coaching staff suffered tournament elimination after a 74-68 loss, ending their run in the West Region and concluding the Bulldogs' season.