BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3) overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn't ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas -- No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play today, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Mo.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece. Allen Flanigan (Little Rock Parkview) added 10 for the Tigers.
Sasser had dealt with a groin injury over the past week, but that didn't seem to cause him any problems. When he swished a three-pointer to push Houston back ahead, 46-45, he let out an emphatic scream on his way back down the court.
He finished 5 of 9 beyond the arc.
Sasser's only issue was foul trouble. The All-American guard and his running mate, point guard Jamal Shead, were both forced to the bench with four fouls apiece with the game still in doubt.
But Mark kept the Cougars right on rolling offensively, and the Jarace Walker-led defense just refused to let Auburn back in the game.
Houston had 12 blocks, half of them swatted away by Walker. Houston scored the final nine points to blow it open at the end, with Sasser delivering another key shot from beyond the three-point line.
Auburn ripped off a 17-4 run over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half. Williams scored eight of those points, swishing a three-pointer and also converting a three-point play.
Houston missed six of its last eight shots in the half, its only baskets coming on a pair of layups.
But the Cougars would not be denied, even with the Tigers having a home-state edge. Legacy Arena in Birmingham is only about a two-hour drive from their east Alabama campus.
TEXAS 71, PENN STATE 66
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Dylan Disu had a season-high 28 points on 14-for-20 shooting, steadying Texas down the stretch after a late Penn State surge and leading the Longhorns to their first regional in 15 years with a victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The second-seeded Longhorns (28-8) made just one of 13 shots from three-point range, so Disu turned this one into a mid-range game. He went 5 for 5 over the final 4 1/2 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds for good measure.
Sir'Jabari Rice scored 13 points for Texas, which will play the Pittsburgh-Xavier winner on Friday in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, M0. The 11th-seeded Panthers and third-seeded Musketeers meet today.
Camren Wynter had 16 points for the 10th-seeded Nittany Lions (23-14), who were coming off their first NCAA Tournament victory in 20 years. Second-team All-American Jalen Pickett had 11 points and 10 rebounds with seven turnovers.
Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0) shoots over Auburn guard Allen Flanigan (22) in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Auburn guard Wendell Green Jr. (1) drives to the basket as Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0) defends in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Houston guard Jamal Shead, left, is defended by Auburn guard K.D. Johnson (0) in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Houston forward J'Wan Roberts (13) presses forward as he attempts to dribble past Auburn forward Jaylin Williams, left, in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0) battles Auburn guard Allen Flanigan, left, in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Houston guard Tramon Mark (12) attempts a layup while Auburn forward Jaylin Williams (2) defends in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Houston forward J'Wan Roberts, right, tries to shoot while defended by Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)