No 11 Texas moves on to the Sweet 16 after surprising victory against No 3 Gonzaga

Texas Longhorns Upset Gonzaga in March Madness

While the early rounds of March Madness didn’t feature many surprises, an unlikely contender has emerged. The 11th-seeded Texas Longhorns pulled off a notable 74-68 upset against the third-seeded Gonzaga University, advancing to the Sweet 16.

Gonzaga had led by as much as eight points, holding a 28-20 advantage with just under five minutes left in the first half. However, the Longhorns clawed back, closing the half with a 15-5 run to make it 35-33 at the break.

In the second half, both teams exchanged baskets and leads, neither able to pull away significantly. Texas landed a critical three-pointer to stretch its lead to six with just over five minutes remaining.

As the clock wound down, Gonzaga narrowed the gap to two points with about three minutes left. Texas responded decisively, hitting a few crucial three-pointers and bringing the score to 69-66. Gonzaga attempted to make a comeback, scoring a dunk with about 40 seconds left, which closed the gap to just one point.

In a fitting end, Texas’s Camden Heide sank a corner three-pointer with 14.7 seconds on the clock. After Gonzaga missed their attempt to score, Matas Vokietaitis sealed the win with a layup.

The Longhorns shot 5-for-15 from behind the arc, but demonstrated clutch shooting, making 3 of their final five attempts. Vokietaitis and Jordan Pope each led the Longhorns with 17 points, with Vokietaitis also grabbing nine rebounds. For Gonzaga, Graham Icke was the standout, racking up 25 points.

This marks the second time Texas has made it to the Sweet 16, with their previous appearances being in 2008 and 2023. Gonzaga, on the other hand, is facing a disappointing trend of second-round exits.