No. 6 Longhorns win at Oklahoma State 56-46

PRE-GAME

Sixth-ranked Texas (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) takes to the court docket at Oklahoma State (9-5, 1-1) at 11 am CT on Saturday (on ESPNU) for the primary time following the college’s announcement on Thursday that coach Chris Beard has been fired with trigger, following his Dec. 12 arrest on a cost of third-degree felony assault by strangulation/suffocation towards his fiancee Randi Trew.

The Cowboys almost upset No. 4 Kansas in Lawrence on Dec. 31, dropping 69-67. OSU defeated West Virginia 67-60 on Monday. The Cowboys are led by their three-guard lineup of Bryce Thompson (12.6 factors per recreation), (*6*) (11.5 ppg) and John-Michael Wright (10.1 ppg).

Beard had been suspended with out pay since Dec. 12, and affiliate head coach Rodney Terry has served because the appearing head coach. With Beard’s dismissal, Terry will now coach the Longhorns by way of the rest of this season, UT introduced on Thursday.

Texas is 5-1 below Terry with the lone loss approaching Tuesday at the Moody Center in a 116-103 defeat by Kansas State, which shot 60 p.c (36-of-60), together with 54.2 p.c from 3-point vary (13-of-24) and 31-of-33 from the free-throw line (93.3 p.c).

Three Wildcats set season highs in scoring: 5-foot-8 fifth-year level guard Markquis Nowell had 36 factors; Florida switch energy ahead Keyontae Johnson had 28 factors; and Mississippi State switch guard Cam Carter had 17 factors.

“We’ll work a lot harder to get better defensively,” Terry stated. “We’ve got to continue to buy in to understanding how important that end of the floor is for us.”

Texas guard Tyrese Hunter, who had been in a five-game taking pictures hunch, rediscovered his stroke towards Kansas State and completed with a team-high 29 factors on 8-of-16 taking pictures, together with 5-of-9 from 3-point vary. Marcus Carr added 27 factors on 10-of-17 taking pictures (4-of-10 from 3-point vary) towards Okay-State for Texas.

FIRST HALF

At the 14:16 mark of the primary half, Texas was main 9-7 as Tyrese Hunter acquired the Longhorns on the board first with two free throws, after which Marcus Carr hit a 3-pointer, adopted by two simple inside baskets from Christian Bishop and freshman Dillon Mitchell.

Bishop suffered a again contusion and left the Longhorns’ 116-103 house loss towards Kansas State on Tuesday at the ten:21 mark of the primary half and did not return. But he was transferring effectively Saturday.

— Bishop hit a pair free throws and Sir’Jabari Rice scored inside, ending a stretch of almost 3 minutes by Texas with out a made subject objective, giving the Longhorns a 13-7 lead with 12:31 left within the first half. Oklahoma State’s Chris Harris Jr. answered with a 3-pointer, reducing UT’s result in 13-10 with 12:14 left within the first half.
— Dylan Disu, who was simply 4-of-16 from 3-point vary, hit a 3-pointer from the nook after which adopted that up with a pleasant inside transfer for a layup. And Arterio Morris confirmed some tight protection that helped create a shot-clock violation and one other OSU turnover. But Morris was referred to as for a foul on a made 3-pointer by OSU’s John-Michael Wright, permitting Wright to transform a four-point play and assist the Cowboys lower Texas’ result in 22-18 with 7:36 left within the first half.

— Late within the first half, the sport was a free-throw taking pictures contest as each groups went greater than three minutes with out a made subject objective. The Longhorns maintained their deal with on the lead by opening 12-of-12 from the foul line because the Cowboys began to get into foul hassle. In the ultimate minutes of the primary half, OSU had main scorer Bryce Thompson (two fouls), second-leading scorer (*6*) (two fouls) and beginning ahead Woody Newton (three fouls) all on the bench as Texas took a 32-24 lead with 2:49 left within the half.

— Both groups struggled to attain down the stretch of the primary half, and after Arterio Morris missed a 3-point try early within the shot clock, when Texas might’ve held for the final shot, OSU referred to as a timeout with 13 seconds left within the half. But Texas’ lock-down protection, which compelled 11 first-half turnovers, stored the Cowboys from getting a ultimate shot because the Longhorns took a 32-24 lead into intermission. Texas went the ultimate 3:58 with out a level, however the Horns held OSU with out a level over the ultimate 4:11.

— At halftime, Texas was taking pictures simply 32 p.c (9-of-28), however the Longhorns have been 12-of-12 from the foul line as six totally different gamers have been 2-of-2 on free throws. Oklahoma State shot 33 p.c within the first half (7-of-21), led by Kalib Boone with eight factors, 5 rebounds and three blocks. Marcus Carr and Dylan Disu every had 5 factors for Texas at halftime whereas Dillon Mitchell had seven rebounds at intermission. OSU had seven blocks within the first half, led by Boone’s three.

SECOND HALF

— Timmy Allen scored on a jumper to get Texas began within the second half, however then Dylan Disu fouled a 3-point try by Bryce Thompson, who hit 2-of-3 foul photographs. Disu then commited a nasty turnover on a poorly executed cross to a wide-open Dillon Mitchell below the basket. (Disu ought to’ve lobbed it to the rim.) Disu then had his shot blocked. After a missed 3 by Tyrese Hunter, Wright hit a 3 for OSU. Disu was fouled and hit 1-of-2 free throws, lastly breaking UT’s streak of 13 straight made free throws, leaving the Longhorns 13-of-14 from foul line as Texas held a 35-29 lead with 14:23 left to play.

— Bishop acquired fouled on a giant up-and-under for Texas’ first made subject objective in additional than six minutes. But he missed the and-one free throw. After two massive defensive performs by OSU, Carr hit a 3 from the nook simply earlier than Dylan Disu was fouled and pushed into Carr by OSU’s Quion Williams. So Texas stored the ball after Carr’s 3, however Sir’Jabari Rice missed a twisting layup try, and OSU’s Caleb Asberry answered by hitting a 3 on the opposite finish, reducing Texas’ result in 40-36. And then Kalib Boone scored on a a layup, reducing Texas’ result in 40-38 with 11:29 left. After Williams was fouled by Allen, he hit 1-of-2 free throws, reducing Texas’ result in 40-39. But UT’s Brock Cunningham hit a 3 to place the Longhorns again up 43-39 with 9:13 left.

— Oklahoma State went on an 11-3 run fueled by two 3-pointers by Caleb Asberry because the Cowboys took their first lead of the sport – 44-43 – with 8:20 left to play. After Timmy Allen was fouled by OSU’s John-Michael Wright, Allen hit 1-of-2 free throws, tying the sport 44-44 with 7:19 left to play.

— After OSU took a 45-44 lead on a made free throw by Woody Newton, Timmy Allen got here up with a much-needed layup on a pleasant put-back of a Mitchell miss, after which Carr hit a jumper with 5:22 left, giving Texas a 48-45 lead.

— Brock Cunningham hit his second 3-pointer of the second half with 2:05 left to play, giving Texas a 9-1 run and a 53-46 lead.

— Out of a timeout, Wright missed a 3 for OSU, after which Tyrese Hunter was fouled and hit 1-of-2 free throws. After OSU missed one other 3, Marcus Carr scored on a layup with 35 seconds left, giving Texas a 56-46 lead, and that is the way it ended. Two days after Texas gamers needed to digest the news of their head coach Chris Beard being fired, the Longhorns confirmed unimaginable grit, particularly on protection, and improved UT’s document to 13-2 and 2-1 within the Big 12 (2-0 in league street video games).

— Texas was led by Marcus Carr with 12 factors and Timmy Allen with 11 factors, whereas freshman Dillon Mitchell got here up with a team-leading 12 rebounds.