PORTLAND, Ore. — No. 11 seed Texas knows the success level associated with its spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Just don’t bring it up.
“Don’t jinx us,” Longhorns’ guard Tramon Mark said.
No. 11 seeds Virginia Commonwealth and UCLA are the only teams to use First Four victories as a springboard to the NCAA Final Four, in 2011 and 2021, respectively.
The Longhorns (20-14) will attempt to stay on that path when they meet third-seeded Gonzaga (31-3) in the second round of the NCAA West Region on Saturday.
“If the right team starts clicking at the right moment, anything can happen,” Texas guard Jordan Pope said after a high-anxiety 79-71 win over sixth-seeded BYU on Thursday. “Any team can win. Any team can lose.
“That’s what March Madness is about. It’s about who’s the better team that day of the game, not necessarily who has been better all season.”
Coach Mark Few and the Bulldogs won their first tournament game for the 17th straight season by holding off No. 14 seed Kennesaw State 73-64 on Thursday.
“One day down the road, people will reflect on what he (Few) has done at Gonzaga,” Texas coach Sean Miller said. “It’s almost like a movie that is too good to be true. How can you have that much success in Spokane, Wash., at Gonzaga for that long?”
The Bulldogs understand how dangerous a low seed can be. They have won tournament games twice as a 10th seed, twice as an 11th seed, and once as a 12th.
“This is one of the beauties of the tournament,” Few said.
Mark made four free throws in the final 18 seconds to clinch Texas’ win over BYU after Pope’s corner jumper late in the shot clock gave the Longhorns a seven-point cushion.
The game hinged on Texas center Matas Vokietaitis, who had 23 points and a career-high 16 rebounds but missed seven free throws in the second half.
“I tried everything,” Miller said to encourage Vokietaitis at the free-throw line. “I tried head-butting him in the chest. I tried making fun of him, joking around. I tried to encourage him. I tried to leave him alone. It’s a shame because he had such a great performance otherwise.”
Gonzaga, meanwhile, can turn its attention to field-goal shooting.
The Bulldogs, who ranked fifth in Division I with a 51.0 percentage entering the tournament, survived against Kennesaw State despite shooting 39.7% from the floor.
It was the third time they failed to crack 40% this season, the first two coming in losses to Michigan and Saint Mary’s.
“We know we have the ability,” said Gonzaga point guard Mario Saint-Supery, who had seven points and eight assists. “Just have to keep shooting. You got to let it rip.”
West Coast Conference Player of the Year Graham Ike had 19 points and eight rebounds in the Bulldogs’ all-hands-on-deck attack against the Owls.
Freshman reserve Davis Fogle posted 17 points and five rebounds, and Jalen Warley recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Gonzaga and Texas had rebounding edges Thursday, the Longhorns at plus-nine and the Bulldogs at plus-11.
“The one key element for them is that they really pound the glass,” Miller said of Gonzaga. “Rebounding has always been a key statistic playing them. We’re going to have to be every bit as good as we were last night.”
