Texas Survives on Late Heroics in First Four to Advance

The pressure of March Madness nearly caught up with Texas Longhorns men’s basketball — until Tramon Mark delivered when it mattered most.

With just 20.8 seconds left in Tuesday night’s First Four matchup, NC State Wolfpack men’s basketball had erased Texas’ lead, tying the game at 66 and threatening to end the Longhorns’ season. But in a moment built for March, Mark stayed composed.

The sixth-year senior rose from the right wing and buried a clutch jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining, lifting Texas to a dramatic 68-66 win at UD Arena.

“When you get into March, the magnitude can take over a player’s mind,” head coach Sean Miller said. “But players make plays — and that’s what happened.”

Mark finished with a team-high 17 points, including four in the final 37 seconds. According to ESPN Research, the game-winner marked his fourth career shot in the final five seconds — and his biggest yet.

“This one is definitely the best,” Mark said. “The way the game felt, I just knew I had to make a play.”

The Longhorns’ defense proved just as crucial. Texas held NC State’s perimeter attack in check for most of the night, despite a late surge that saw the Wolfpack hit three quick 3-pointers to tie the game.

“This might be the first game we won because of our defense,” Miller added.

With the win, Texas advances as a No. 11 seed to face No. 6 BYU in Thursday’s first-round matchup in Portland — their season still alive, thanks to one clutch shot.