Men's March Madness Saturday takeaways: How every second-round game was decided - ESPN

Which teams are moving on to the Sweet 16?

ESPN reporters across the country are recapping how each second-round game is decided Saturday.

How Illinois won: Another potential Cinderella saw its glass slipper shattered, as VCU's run came to an end at the hands of a dominant Illinois team. Andrej Stojakovic had 21 points to lead the Illini, who turned a two-point deficit with 3:09 to go in the first half into an easy win, outscoring the Rams by 23 over the final 23 minutes. Tomislav Ivisic stole the show with a monster dunk in the second half that signaled an unofficial end to VCU's hopes; he finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. — David Hale

How Texas won: With 2:31 to go in regulation, Longhorns guard Jordan Pope hit a clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key, a shot that proved to be the difference-maker in Texas' upset victory over Gonzaga. The Longhorns were held scoreless for two minutes after Pope's basket. Camden Heide ended the drought with a 3-pointer, and Matas Vokietaitis' transition layup secured the win. Pope and Vokietaitis led Texas in scoring with 17 points each. For Gonzaga, Graham Ike led the game with 25 points. Texas has 11 NCAA tournament wins as a double-digit seed, the most of any program since seeding began in 1979. — Ryan McFadden

How Houston won: The last time Houston and Texas A&M met in the NCAA tournament (second round in 2024), the Cougars outlasted the Aggies in a high-flying classic in which the two teams combined for 195 points. This time, though, Houston won convincingly — thanks in large part to a 19-4 run that occurred after Texas A&M cut the Cougars' lead to one point with 7:40 left in the first half.

Though Kelvin Sampson has lamented his team's inexperience at times, Cougars