The excitement of March Madness kicked off with historic triumphs as Howard University clinched its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, and Texas secured a nail-biting victory with a last-second shot on Tuesday night.
Howard’s Bryce Harris was instrumental in their milestone achievement, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. His decisive turnaround jumper, made with just 13 seconds left on the clock, sealed an 86-83 victory over UMBC during the First Four round. This win marked a significant moment for Howard, who had previously been winless in their four prior tournament appearances.
Ose Okojie also played a pivotal role, posting a career-high 23 points to propel the Bison (24-10) past the Retrievers (24-9), despite a strong comeback attempt from UMBC in the final minutes.
While Howard celebrated their historic night, Texas also delivered a thrilling performance. Tramon Mark led the Longhorns with 17 points and nailed the game-winning basket with just one second left, securing a victory over NC State in another First Four matchup.
The Longhorns (19-14) faced a tense moment when they squandered a late lead, allowing the Wolfpack (20-14) to draw level at 66 with only 18 seconds remaining. However, Mark’s timely heroics ensured Texas advanced to the next round.
Contributing to Texas’s success, Chendall Weaver added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals off the bench, while Dailyn Swain chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, helping the Longhorns progress to the Round of 64.
Howard picked up its first ever March Madness win on the opening night of the tournament
Texas also snatched a last-second victory over NC State on a dramatic start to the First Four
They will play No. 6 BYU in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, with Howard also set for a showdown that evening with No. 1 Michigan, which is expected to contend for the title.
‘We’ve done a lot of things in our program, but let’s check off the box of winning an NCAA game today,’ Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney said after their win over UMBC.
DJ Armstrong Jr.’s 3-pointer with 43 seconds left got the Retrievers within 83-81. After Harris’ jumper as the shot clock expired gave Howard a four-point lead, Jah’Likah King made a layup to make it 85-83.
Isaiah Brown made one of two free throws and Armstrong couldn’t convert a 3 at the buzzer, sealing a trip to Buffalo, New York, for the Bison, who enter the Midwest Region bracket as the No. 16 seed.
‘Run, clock, run,’ Blakeney said of his thoughts in the final moments. ‘We went from, I want to say, a three-possession game to a two-possession game to a one-possession game.’
The coach also led Howard, one of the country’s premier historically Black universities, to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023 and ’24.
UMBC was seeking its first March Madness win since it shocked top overall seed Virginia in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1.
Bryce Harris had 19 points and 14 rebounds as he delivered Howard’s historic first win late on
Tramon Mark (right) finished with a team-high 17 points after hitting the game-winner for Texas
The Retrievers lost in the second round that year and this was the first NCAA Tournament appearance since for the suburban Baltimore school, located 31 miles north of the Howard campus in Washington.
King led UMBC with 19 points, Armstrong had 17 and Caden Diggs scored 15.
Cedric Taylor III scored 16 points for Howard, going 9 of 10 at the free-throw line before fouling out in the final minute.
The Bison led for all but the first 1:21 and took a 13-point lead in the first half. Okojie scored 16 points before halftime, helping the Bison to a 49-41 advantage at the break.
‘I said, “Guys, this is the worst we’ve played all year,” for whatever the reason,’ UMBC coach Jim Ferry said of his halftime message.
