AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Jerry West's teams have company in the West Virginia record book.

Kevin Pittsnogle scored 14 points to lead the sixth-seeded Mountaineers to a 67-54 victory over 14th-seeded Northwestern State in the second round of the NCAA tournament yesterday.

West Virginia has won two games in consecutive NCAAs for the first time since the famed West, whose silhouette graces the NBA's logo, led it to the title game in 1959 and a regional semifinal the next year.

"I just hope we end up being one of the great and most popular teams in West Virginia history like they were," said Mike Gansey, who had 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Mountaineers led by as many as 25 in the second half, but had to hold off a late rally as the Demons pulled to 57-49 with 4:14 left.

"You knew the second half was going to be a root canal," Mountaineers coach John Beilein said. "They went after us with everything they had with their waves, and we got worn down, but we were still standing at the end."

West Virginia (22-10) will play Texas on Thursday in an Atlanta Regional semifinal. The Longhorns beat West Virginia, 76-75, Nov. 21 at a tournament in Kansas City, Mo.

Clifton Lee and Keenan Jones each scored 11 for the Demons (26-8), the lowest-seeded team to win in the first round.

TEXAS 75, N.C. STATE 54

DALLAS — With the Texas guards playing like they did in the second round of the NCAA tournament, the dynamic duo of P.J. Tucker and LaMarcus Aldridge didn't have to dominate for the Longhorns to advance.

Freshman guard A.J. Abrams scored 16 points after the starting backcourt of Daniel Gibson and Kenton Paulino got the Longhorns off to a fast start in their victory over North Carolina State yesterday.

Texas (29-6) advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the fourth time in five seasons, after their first-round exit a year ago without Tucker and Aldridge.

Gibson had 11 points when he made his third 3-pointer to put the Longhorns up 23-11 with 10:52 left. Paulino had two 3s in the first five minutes.

Tucker, the Big 12 player of the year who is from Raleigh, N.C., had 17 points and 10 rebounds. And Aldridge, the league's defensive player of the year, had 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds.

Cameron Bennerman had 16 points to lead North Carolina State (22-10).