If Tuesday was a preview of how the 2026 NCAA Tournament is going to go, college basketball fans should buckle up for the ride. Both First Four matchups from Dayton came down to the wire, with No. 11 seed Texas and No. 16 seed Howard advancing to the first round on Thursday with dramatic wins.

The Longhorns held off a rally from NC State to advance after star Tramon Mark knocked down a go-ahead jumper with one second remaining to give his team a 68-66 win over No. 11 seed NC State. Texas will face No. 6 seed BYU on Thursday. 

Texas lost last year in the First Four to Xavier, a team that was, ironically, coached by Sean Miller. Miller left Xavier after the tournament last year to become the Longhorns’ coach.

The first game of the doubleheader was also eventful. No. 16 seed Howard defeated No. 16 seed UMBC 86-83 for its first NCAA Tournament win in program history. The Bison were previously 0-4 in their first four appearances.

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UMBC missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would’ve sent the game to overtime. With the win, Howard tied the program record for most wins (24), which matched its record during the 1986-87 season. Howard will now face No. 1 seed Michigan in the first round on Thursday in Buffalo.

The First Four from Dayton will continue from Dayton on Wednesday with two more intriguing matchups. No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M faces No. 16 seed Lehigh in the opening game. After that, No. 11 seed Miami (Ohio) plays No. 11 seed SMU.

First Four schedule, scores

Tuesday, March 17

CBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every First Four game on Tuesday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the evening.