In a matchup that was less beauty and more beast, the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team eked out a victory over Colorado State with a score of 56-44 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Longhorns, seeded seventh, fended off the 10th-seeded Rams in a game as barely averting offensive disaster for both sides, as per KXAN.

The contest, played out in Charlotte, was far from a showcase of offensive prowess. In a first half that redefined 'shooting struggles,' Colorado State hit an abysmal 5 of 27 from the field. According to KXAN, Texas managed to capitalize on the Rams’ frigidity and trotted into the break leading 27-11 — highlighted by a Max Abmas 30-footer to close out the half. The Longhorns themselves shot below 40%, but that was more than enough given their opponent's woes.

"I tried to stay aggressive, and it’s hard to do that when the shots aren’t falling," Texas forward Dylan Disu, who ended the night with 12 points on 5 of 18 shooting. His resilience paid off, converting a challenging inside shot and subsequent foul shot in the latter stages of the game to help seal the deal for the Longhorns.

Turnovers turned into Texas triumphs, as Colorado State coughed up the ball 19 times. These mistakes led to 17 points for Texas, as the Rams suffered their lowest-scoring game in three seasons, per KXAN reporting. Colorado State's typically productive point guard Isaiah Stevens was squeezed to a mere 10 points on the night, a far cry from his 16.2 per game average.

The Longhorns, who improved to a season record of 21-12, are now bracing for a second-round scrap with No. 2 seed Tennessee, as reported by KVUE. The impending battle sets up a narrative-rich encounter as Texas faces off against a Volunteer side coached by former Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes.