Texas Longhorns upset Gonzaga Bulldogs to seal Sweet 16 progression
Texas have become the first team in five years to progress from the NCAA Tournament’s First Four to the Sweet 16 after stunning third seeds Gonzaga 74-68 in Portland on Saturday.
Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis both registered 17 points to spearhead the 11th-seeded Longhorns to a historic collegiate victory.
Camden Heide then delivered the decisive blow by sinking a game-sealing three-pointer in the intensely fought closing stages.
Sean Miller’s side arrived at the tournament in underwhelming form, having lost five of their final six matches before a stuttering preliminary victory over NC State.
Bulldogs suffer early exit again
The shock result consigns Gonzaga to a second-round elimination for the second consecutive year.
It marks a stark decline for Mark Few’s outfit, who had previously boasted a remarkable streak of nine successive Sweet 16 appearances.
Graham Ike led the scoring for the Bulldogs with an impressive 25 points, but a lack of secondary attacking support ultimately proved costly.
Historic run continues for Longhorns
The extraordinary turnaround mirrors the achievements of UCLA, who were the last First Four qualifiers to reach this stage before advancing to the Final Four in 2021.
Texas will now travel to San Jose, California, for Thursday’s West Region semifinal.
They await the winner of the clash between second seeds Purdue and seventh seeds Miami as their improbable postseason journey continues.