Texas 74, Gonzaga 68 FINAL — Longhorns Advance to Sweet 16 Behind Pope, Vokietaitis, and a Paint Domination
FINAL — Saturday, March 21, 2026 | Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Texas punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 with a gritty 74-68 win over Gonzaga, handing Mark Few's Bulldogs an early exit. Jordan Pope delivered 17 clutch points, transfer big man Matas Vokietaitis dominated the glass with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Dailyn Swain ran the offense to near perfection with 11 points and 6 assists. Graham Ike put up a 25-point fight for Gonzaga — but it was not enough.
Box Score — Texas vs Gonzaga Final
| Player | Team | PTS | REB | AST | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Pope | Texas | 17 | 1 | 3 | 3-of-8 from three |
| Matas Vokietaitis | Texas | 17 | 9 | 2 | 63.6% FG, 5 fouls drawn |
| Dailyn Swain | Texas | 11 | 6 | 6 | 71.4% FG, efficient night |
| Nic Codie | Texas | 12 | 4 | 3 | 83.3% FG, perfect in paint |
| Chendall Weaver | Texas | 8 | 3 | 1 | 80% FG, +10 on floor |
| Graham Ike | Gonzaga | 25 | 3 | 3 | 10-22 FG, 4 fouls |
| Jalen Warley | Gonzaga | 10 | 8 | 5 | Best Gonzaga stat line |
| Mario Saint-Supéry | Gonzaga | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1-of-6 from three |
| Emmanuel Innocenti | Gonzaga | 9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7% FG off bench |
How Texas Won — Paint Dominance and Turnover Points
Texas outscored Gonzaga 46-38 in the paint — a staggering difference for a program that was supposed to be undersized against Gonzaga's frontcourt. Vokietaitis was the difference maker, posting 14 points in the paint on 63.6% shooting and drawing five fouls against Gonzaga's interior defenders.
The Longhorns converted 11 points off turnovers compared to just 2 for Gonzaga — a plus-9 margin in that category alone that proved decisive in a 6-point game. Texas forced 7 Gonzaga turnovers while committing just 5 of their own, with Chendall Weaver and Jordan Pope leading the press and deflection game that Sean Miller's staff prepared specifically for Gonzaga's ball handlers.
Graham Ike's Final College Game — A Brilliant Career Ends in Portland
Graham Ike gave everything he had — 25 points on 22 shots, 100% from the free throw line, and moments of pure brilliance in the post against a team that schemed specifically to deny him. But foul trouble limited his rhythm, and Gonzaga could not generate enough secondary scoring with Mario Saint-Supéry going 1-of-6 from three and the bench contributing just 13 points total.
It is almost certainly the final college game for Ike, a projected NBA lottery pick and WCC Player of the Year who leaves Gonzaga as one of the program's most decorated big men. Mark Few — whose Bulldogs made their 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance — will have plenty to say about Ike's legacy at the program's end-of-season press conference.
Where Is Gonzaga University — And What Is Gonzaga's NCAA History
Gonzaga University is located in Spokane, Washington — a mid-size city in the Pacific Northwest roughly 280 miles east of Seattle. The Bulldogs have been one of the most remarkable sustained success stories in college basketball, making 27 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and reaching the championship game in 2017 and 2021 under Mark Few. Tonight's loss to Texas ends another deep run before it could begin.
Texas Advances to the Sweet 16 — Who Do the Longhorns Face Next?
Texas — the No. 11 seed who needed a buzzer beater to survive NC State in the First Four — has now knocked off a No. 3 seed in Gonzaga to reach the Sweet 16. Sean Miller's Longhorns are the lowest remaining seed in their region and have fully embraced the underdog identity that has carried them from Dayton all the way to the second week of March Madness 2026. Their Sweet 16 opponent and location will be determined by results still being played out in the West Region bracket.
