Texas Stuns NC State in First Four Thriller

0:00On March 18, Texas pulled off a nail-biter in the first four, beating North Carolina State 68-66 on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. Tramon Mark sealed the win with a fadeaway jumper from just inside the three-point line with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. The long horns, now 19 wins and 14 losses, advanced as the number 11 seed in the West region. Both teams entered the tournament on skids, each dropping five of their last six games. Texas held a nine-point lead, late in the second half, but the Wolfpack mounted a quick 10-point run to tie things up at 66. After running down most of the clock, Mark's shot proved to be the difference, as North Carolina State couldn't get a final look. Fans and players were on the edge of their seats in that defensive battle, a far cry from their earlier 97-102 Texas winback, in November at the Maui Invitational. The long horns built an early 10-point advantage, but struggled offensively before halftime,

1:00clinging to just a one-point lead at the break. Mark led Texas with 17 points, while Moda's Boca Titus added 15, and Dalyne Swain chipped in 13. Kendall Weaver grabbed his first career, double-double, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. For the Wolfpack, Darian Williams topped out at 21 points. Now Texas heads to Portland, Oregon, to face number 6 seed BYU on Thursday night under coach Sean Miller, his third team to make March Madness. They'll need a strong game plan to slow down BYU star AJ Dibanza as the tournament heats up.