BYU’s season has already come to an end.
In the first round of March Madness on Thursday night, the Cougars were bested by No. 11 seed Texas in a 79-71 loss in a West Region matchup.
Texas had a solid performance throughout, with four of their players scoring at least 10 points, and big man Matas Vokietaitis led the way with 23 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 10-for-17 from the field.
“I thought Matas had one of his best games,” Longhorns head coach Sean Miller said in a sideline interview following the game.
Dailyn Swain and Matas Vokietaitis of the celebrate during the second half of Texas’ 79-71 win over BYU in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore. Getty Images
The Longhorns were mostly in control of Thursday’s game, leading by nine at halftime, and did not lose their lead once in the second half.
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa’s 35-point performance was not enough for the Cougars, with their bench failing to score a point the entire game.
Miller said that going into Thursday’s game, his team had a plan to not let Dybantsa force his players to take more fouls.
“Our plan was we can’t let him foul our team out, and the other guys can’t have good nights with his great night,” Miller said of facing off against Dybansta. “I think he’s pretty much a given.”
Texas guard Tramon Mark (12) reacts after the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against BYU, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Ore. AP
During the game, Miller admitted that he didn’t believe that his team really could slow down Dybansta.
“I don’t think we can,” Miller said of containing the BYU forward. “We have to do the best job we can, and we can’t accumulate fouls. That’s not going to allow our team to be the best that we can be.
“We’re trying hard, I’m not giving in. But there’s just very little you can do with that right there.”
Dybantsa, who averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists for his freshman season, is viewed as one of the top prospects for this year’s NBA draft.
Texas is set to face off against the winner of Gonzaga and Kennesaw State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.