AUSTIN—No. 10 in the program’s top 20 matchups for entering games in the same conference and overall record texas longhorns Overwhelm No. 17 with 18 points difference in the first half TCU Horned Frog A 79–75 win at the Moody Center led them 17 points in the second half. This is the first conference victory in the new arena.
The final deficit, achieved with one second left, marked the Longhorns’ largest lead in the game, and the overall comeback was the biggest for Texas since their game against Oklahoma in late February 2013.
Texas guard Marcus Kerr hit a 3 late on the shot clock to take the lead by 3 points with 1:01 remaining, and three free throws by guard Sarjabari Rice made the difference in the final seconds.
After interim head coach Rodney Terry challenged Rice more aggressively in the second half at halftime, the New Mexico state transfer came to an end in the second half as the Longhorns overcame a 13-point Horned Frogs lead at halftime. Got all 15 points. Rice began using his patented pump fake to get into the lane and remained focused on the downhill after Texas entered the bonus with 8:41 remaining, giving the Longhorns 10 straight points over two and a half minutes. Scored and hit 8.-9 he made a free throw.
TCU head coach Jamie Dixon lamented the team’s inability to follow scout reports and stick to Rice’s pump fake, but Rice wasn’t surprised by its effectiveness. It wasn’t.
“You’re going to jump, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Allen scored a team-high 17 points, scored four baskets and scored twice in transition in the first seven minutes of the second half as the Longhorns tried to get back into the game, but was effective in isolation. played to
Arguably the biggest key was forward Dylan Diss moving the ball more effectively, scoring 14 points on 7-7 shooting, tying the record for Texas. With Dis cutting off the ball and his teammates spotting him, the Vanderbilt transfer ended at 4:49 when he recorded four layups and a dunk, during which Texas closed his six-point deficit. Overcame.
“I had to keep the basketball moving, but when I calmly put the ball in, it often calmed me down,” Terry said. “We can move the cutter. We can move the ball a little bit more and play through the players and post a little bit more.”
The Longhorns shot 59.4 percent in the second half, taking 14 shots from range in the first half, taking only two shots and making only two 3-point attempts. By emphasizing attacking the basket, including various isolation plays, Texas scored 26 points in the paint in the second half, recording 13 layups and four dunks. Improving basketball care also made a difference. Of his 11 turnovers for the Horns, his turnovers in the final 20 minutes were his only three.
“Early shot selection was not good,” Terry said. “We were driving in areas where we didn’t have enough space, but they did a great job of swiping their hands and getting a lot of balls.”
Texas missed their first eight threes before guard Tyrese Hunter hit the first 6:09 for Texas with 6:09 remaining until halftime. left and right.
“Many times we were standing. The ball was sticking and not moving the way it needed to be. We didn’t have anyone to cut the way we needed to cut against his defense. As a result, we were down,” Terry said.
Eight turnovers in the first half also helped the Horned Frogs to an 11-2 advantage on fast break points. The number was reduced by TCU guard Damion Boe missing a dunk in transition and the Texas forward scoring an alley-oop his dunk. Opposite Dillon Mitchell is his swing with his four points crucial in the game determined by that margin.
In Dixon’s post-game press conference, he cited a team defensive collapse in the second half that saw players stranded in a one-on-one situation, but continued to return to the rebounding deficit as Texas rebounded TCU seven times. The second half after the Horned Frogs had a five-rebound advantage in the first half. The Longhorns’ 11 second-half offensive rebounds resulted in eight second-chance points.
On defense, the Longhorns made some adjustments to their pick-and-roll coverage in the second half, but Horned Frogs players cited a late-game defensive breakdown as the biggest difference in their results.
For Terry, it was all about sticking with it.
“We have to keep working on the game. The game never ends. Keep working and get back in position. I thought we had a chance to do that.”
