The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
1-0
Eastern Illinois
0-1
Men's Basketball defeats Eastern Illinois, 71-59
11.06.2018 | Men's Basketball
Six players record at least 7 points as Longhorns win their 17th straight home opener.
AUSTIN— Sophomore guard Matt Coleman III led all players with 13 points and 7 assists, while freshman forward Jaxson Hayes added 12 points in his collegiate debut to pace The University of Texas men's basketball team to a 71-59 win against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday night at the Frank Erwin Center. UT has now won 16 of its last 17 season openers and 17 straight home openers.
Both teams started sluggish offensively in a back-and-forth first half that featured nine ties and 12 lead changes. Texas' pressure defense forced Eastern Illinois into 10 first-half turnovers, while holding the Panthers to just 28 points on 39 percent shooting.
Junior guard Elijah Mitrou-Long ignited the UT offense with a corner three that gave the Longhorns a 28-25 lead with 2:53 left in the half. On the ensuing possession, Hayes blocked a shot and Mitrou-Long found Coleman for a layup while being fouled to extend the lead to 31-25. The Longhorns ended the first half on a 15-3 run over the final 3:34 to take a 38-28 lead into the locker room.
Texas' energy continued as the Longhorns started the second half on a 10-3 run over the first three minutes to build a 48-31 cushion. The lead grew to as much as 23 points (62-39) with 8:16 remaining in the contest.
Junior guard Andrew Jones checked into the game with 11:40 left in the second half. This marked the first court action for Jones since January 2018 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He played 9 minutes and recorded 1 point (1-2 FT), 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
Texas 71, Eastern Illinois 59
November 6, 2018
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 7,522
Team Notes
- Texas improved to 93-20 all-time in season-opening games. The Longhorns have won 16 of their last 17 season-opening contests.
- UT improved to 98-15 all-time in home openers. Texas is 37-5 in home openers since the Frank Erwin Center opened prior the 1977-78 season. The Longhorns have won 17 straight home openers. This streak dates back to the 2001-02 home opener.
- The Nov. 6 date marks the earliest season opener in Texas Basketball history. UT opened on Nov. 8 in both the 2010-11 and 2013-14 seasons.
- This marked the first meeting between Texas and Eastern Illinois.
- Texas improved to 229-40 at the Frank Erwin Center in the last 17 seasons (dating to the start of the 2002-03 season). UT is 38-14 at home during the Shaka Smart era.
- Texas converted 50.0-percent (26-52) from the floor on the night, including a 56.0-percent (14-25) mark in the first half.
- The Longhorns held the Panthers to 35.7-percent (20-56) FG shooting on the night, including a 33.3-percent (11-33) mark in the second half. Eastern Illinois was limited to 5 assists against 19 turnovers.
- The backcourt trio of Matt Coleman III, Elijah Mitrou-Long and Courtney Ramey combined for a 19-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Reached double figures in scoring (team-high 13 points) for the first time this year and 17th time in his career (35 games)
- Added a team-high 7 assists against just 2 turnovers in a team-best 31 minutes
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) in his first collegiate game while playing 20 minutes
- Entered the game at the 11:40 mark of the second half
- Saw 9 minutes of playing time and recorded 1 point (1-2 FT), 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in his first action since Jan. 1, 2018 at Iowa State (diagnosed with leukemia in early January 2018)
- Led the team in rebounds (6) and steals (3) and added 6 assists in 24 minutes during his UT debut
Up Next
Texas travels to Fort Bliss (El Paso, Texas) for the Armed Forces Classic against Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 9. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be nationally televised by ESPN.
