PORTLAND, Ore. — Texas basketball advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a thrilling 68-66 win Tuesday over North Carolina State in a First Four matchup.
But the 11th-seeded Longhorns (19-14) don’t have much time to savor their win, because a potent BYU squad that earned a No. 6 seed awaits in the next round. Freshman forward AJ Dybantsa, a likely lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft, leads BYU with 25.3 points while adding 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game. The Cougars (23-11) boast plenty of other options in an offense that 83.9 points per contest and shoots 47.7% from the floor, but Texas raced to a 46-37 lead behind a first-half double-double from Matas Vokietaitis (15 points, 11 rebounds).
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If the Longhorns upset BYU, they will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in last five years. From the 2014-15 season through 2021, Texas did not win an NCAA Tournament game.
Follow below for live scores and updates Thursday as the Texas Longhorns face the BYU Cougars in a first-round NCAA Tournament game. The winner will play either No. 3 Gonzaga or No. 14 Kennesaw State in the second round Saturday in Portland.
MORE: How Tramon Mark and Chendall Weaver lifted Texas basketball to NCAAs | Golden
Texas post Matas Vokietaitis lays in a basket while being guarded by Keba Keita of the BYU Cougars during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) (Soobum Im/Getty Images)
It’s now or never for BYU, which fell behind 68-51 with 11:08 to go. AJ Dybantsa (30 points) is trying to lead a comeback, and the Cougars are upping their defensive pressure. But Matas Vokietaitis has 21 points and a career-high 14 rebounds; let’s see if his last two points stand with BYU challenging a goal-tend call.
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AJ Dybantsa throws down a reverse, behind-the-head dunk. Dailyn Swain and Matas Vokietaitis answer with driving layups. It’s a highlight reel for both teams, and the Longhorns seize their biggest lead of the game.
Good answer by Texas out of the timeout. Tramon Mark hits another 3-pointer, this one from the corner, and he’s up to 11 points. Matas Vokietaitis leads Texas with 17 points while AJ Dybantsa has a game-high 20 for BYU.
BYU responds to its first double-digit deficit of the game with a 7-0 run, and Sean Miller takes a timeout for Texas.
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Dailyn Swain finds Matas Vokietaitis on a Longhorn alley-oop, and we’re off in the second half in Portland.
Matas Vokietaitis has a double-double at the half with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Texas flexes in an impressive first half. The Horns shoot 51.4% from the floor and outrebound BYU 21-11. Oh, and Tramon Mark (8 points) hits yet another buzzer-beater, this on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. AJ Dybantsa lives up to the hype with 20 points for BYU.
Matas Vokietaitis is starting to come alive inside for Texas with nine points, including a thunderous dunk. Better yet for Texas coach Sean Miller: Only one Longhorn (Jordan Pope (2 fouls) has more than one foul against a team that thrives getting to the stripe.
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The Texas offense has been efficient all season, and it’s more of the same; the Longhorns are shooting 57.1% from the floor and have made four of nine from 3-point range. Dailyn Swain has seven to lead Texas while AJ Dybantsa is up to 14 for BYU. The fouls are starting to pile up for Texas, which has committed all six of its fouls over the past 7 minutes.
Jordan Pope has now hit a pair of 3-pointers and has six points. If the Longhorn guard gets hot, he gives the Texas offense an extra element it may need against the high-powered Cougars.
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A little spurt by BYU, and Texas coach Sean Miller takes a timeout. Dybantsa has 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting, and like all the greats, he makes them look easy. BYU has made 7 of their last 9 shots.
Texas wing Dailyn Swain is matched up against BYU star AJ Dybantsa. Two future NBA players going at it tonight. A scorching start by both teams; Texas has made six of their 11 shots while BYU is 6-of-8 from the floor. Dybantsa has six points while Cam Heide has five for Texas.
Jordan Pope hits a long 3-pointer to start things off. Texas could use a big game from the West Coast native.
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Texas
POS
#
NAME
GP
PPG
RPG
APG
G
0
Pope,Jordan
33
13.1
2.1
1.9
G
12
Mark,Tramon
33
13.6
3.5
1.9
F
3
Swain,Dailyn
33
17.7
7.6
3.4
F
5
Heide,Camden
32
6.1
2.7
0.7
C
8
Vokietaitis,Matas
33
15.5
6.9
0.6
BYU
POS
#
NAME
GP
PPG
RPG
APG
G
1
Wright III,Robert
34
18.2
3.5
4.7
G
6
Kostic,Aleksej
26
4.2
0.9
0.4
G
30
Davis Jr.,Kennard
31
8.5
2.7
1.3
F
3
Dybantsa,AJ
34
25.3
6.7
3.8
C
13
Keita,Keba
32
6.3
7.3
0.3
The Longhorns and BYU will tip off at its scheduled time of 6:35 p.m. CT after the first two games in the Portland regional ended on schedule. High Point, a 12th seed, got the tournament off to a rollicking start by stunning No. 5 Wisconsin in the first game,, and No. 4 Arkansas followed with a rout of No. 13 Hawaii. Gonzaga, a No. 3 seed, will cap the night in Portland against No. 14 Kennesaw State.
What: NCAA Tournament first round game
When: 6:25 p.m. Thursday
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Where: March 19, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore.
TV/radio: TBS; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM
Line: BYU is favored by 2½; total of 157½
Reach Texas beat reporter Thomas Jones via email at tjones@statesman.com.