Pack Drops Heartbreaker to Texas, 68-66

Tuesday, March 17

Dayton, OH

9:15 PM

NC State

20-14,10-8ACC

Texas

19-14,9-9SEC

Texas

NC State

3/18/2026 12:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

DAYTON, Ohio – Texas men's basketball player Tramon Mark made the game-winning jump shot with 1.2 seconds remaining to send the Longhorns to a 68-66 win over NC State on Tuesday in a First Four matchup of the NCAA Tournament played at University of Dayton Arena.

The Pack trailed 64-56 with 1:42 to play, but made a furious rally to tie the game at 66 on a Tre Holloman free throw with 18 seconds to go.

Paul McNeil, Jr., got the comeback started with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five, Quadir Copeland then stole the ball from Texas and after a missed shot NC State retained possession after the rebound went out-of-bounds off of Texas.

On the inbounds play, Copeland found McNeil for a three-pointer in the corner which brought the Pack within two, 64-62, with 1:06 to go.

Texas ran the shot clock down on the next possession before Mark foreshadowed his upcoming clutch shot with a short jumper in the lane with 37 seconds to go to double the Longhorns lead.

NC State immediately found Darrion Williams who buried a three-pointer to bring the Pack within one, 66-65, with 30 seconds to play.

Texas turned the ball over in the backcourt and Copeland found Holloman cutting to the basket who was fouled by Texas. Holloman missed the first free throw, but made the second to know the game at 66 with 18 seconds left in the game.

Texas calmly worked the game clock down before Mark rose from 18 feet to win the game.

Williams, in his final collegiate game, led all scorers with 21 points. Copeland added 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. The four steals tie for the most ever by an NC State player in an NCAA Tournament game.

McNeil finished with 11 points and made three three-pointers in the game. The three three-pointers give him 105 on the season which ties him with DJ Horne (2023-24) for the most in a single season in program history.

Tre Holloman added eight points – all in the second half.

The Pack shot a season-low 16 three-pointers in the game, making just six. NC State closed the game making its final three three-point attempts in the final 1:30 of the game.

Texas ended the game with a 45-33 advantage in rebounding and outscored the Pack, 21-14, at the free throw line, as the Longhorns attempted 11 more free throws than NC State.

Ven-Allen Lubin fouled out in the game in 22 minutes and finished the game with six points and five rebounds. Lubin ends the season with a 66.8 percent field goal percentage which is the best in a single-season in program history and is the fourth-best single-season field goal percentage in ACC history.

Mark led four Texas players in double figures with 17 points.

Tuesday's loss to Texas ended NC State's 2025-26 season with a 20-14 record. The game ended the collegiate careers of Copeland, Holloman, Lubin and Williams and Scottie Ebube, as well as four-year walk-on Jordan Snell.