The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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No. 19/22 Men's Basketball tops UTRGV in season opener, 91-55
11.25.2020 | Men's Basketball
Courtney Ramey paces the Longhorns with a game-high 20 points and seven assists.
AUSTIN, Texas — Junior guard Courtney Ramey recorded a game-high 20 points and seven assists, and senior guard Matt Coleman III added 17 points to pace No. 19/22 Texas (1-0) to an impressive 91-55 victory against UTRGV (0-1) in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night at the Frank Erwin Center. The Longhorns won their 19th consecutive home opener.
Texas converted 57.4-percent (31-54) from the floor, including an eye-opening 76.2-percent (16-21) in the second half. The Longhorns held the Vaqueros to 26.1-percent shooting (18-69) from the floor, including a 19.0-percent mark (4-21) from three-point range.
A total of five Longhorns reached double figures in scoring. Sophomore forward Kai Jones registered 14 points while hitting 6-of-6 from the floor and tied his career high with eight rebounds, while junior forward Gerald Liddell added 10 points and six rebounds.
Freshman Greg Brown produced a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes during his collegiate debut. He became just the fourth player at Texas since 1972-73 to record a double-double in his freshman debut. Senior forward Jericho Sims also grabbed 10 rebounds for the Longhorns.
Texas jumped out to a 17-4 advantage after a Sims free throw at the 12:46 mark and never trailed in the contest. UT used a 7-0 run in the last 1:10 of the half to build a 45-29 advantage at the break. The lead did not dip below 14 points in the second half and the Longhorns closed the game by holding UTRGV scoreless over the final 4:29.
Texas returns to the court on Monday, Nov. 30, when it faces Davidson in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Camping World Maui Invitational in Asheville, N.C. Tip is set for 11 a.m. Central, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#19/22 Texas 91, UTRGV 55
November 25, 2020
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 2,451 (3,100 capacity)
Team Notes
- UT tipped off its 115th season of intercollegiate basketball with a 91-55 home victory against UTRGV. The Nov. 25th start date marked the latest (calendar) season opener for the Longhorns since the 1995-96 season.
- Texas improved to 95-20 all-time in season-opening games and has won 18 of its last 19 season-opening contest.
- UT improved to 100-15 all-time in home-opening contests and 39-5 in home openers since the Frank Erwin Center opened prior to the 1977-78 season.
- The Longhorns won their 19th consecutive home opener.
- UT improved to 7-0 in the all-time series against UTRGV. This marked the first meeting between the two schools since the 2009-10 season.
- Texas improved to 255-52 at the Erwin Center in the last 19 seasons (dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season). UT is 64-26 at home during the Shaka Smart era.
- The Longhorns held UTRGV to 55 points on 26.1-percent FG shooting (18-69), including a 19.0-percent mark (4-21) from three-point range, and allowed just four assists on the night.
- UT registered a +18 rebound margin (54-36).
- Texas used a 7-0 run over the last 1:10 of the first half to build a 45-29 halftime cushion. The Longhorns held UTRGV to 23.5-percent (8-34) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
- In the second half, the Texas offense converted 76.2-percent (16-21) from the floor. The marked a tie for the fourth-highest FG percentage in a half in school history (since 1965-66) and best shooting half since UT hit 16-of-21 (.762) in the second half of a home win against Oklahoma on Jan. 15, 2000.
- Overall, UT connected on 57.4-percent (31-54) from the floor during the win.
- Posted a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) in 24 minutes during his collegiate debut
- First freshman since Jarrett Allen (16 points, 12 rebounds) in 2016 to record a double-double in his collegiate debut
- Only the fourth freshman in program history (since 1972-73) to register a double-double in his collegiate debut (Jarrett Allen, Ron Baxter in 1976 and Mike Murphy in 1974)
- Became the 38th freshman in program history (since 1972-73) to start a season opener and first since Mohamed Bamba and Matt Coleman III in 2017-18
- Reached double figures in scoring (17 points) for the 56th time in his career (102 games)
- Moved into 31st place on the UT all-time scoring list with 1,109 career points, jumping over Brad Buckman (1,102 in 2003-06)
- Did not play for precautionary reasons (cough)
- Reached double figures in scoring (14 points) for the third time in his career (28 games)
- Tied his career high in rebounds (8) – also had 8 at Kansas (Feb. 3, 2020)
- Converted a perfect 6-of-6 field goals in 23 minutes of action
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the second time in his career (29 games)
- Set a career high in three-point field goals (2-3)
- Topped the 20-point mark (game-high 20 points) for the fifth time in his career (69 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 38th time in his career
- Registered a team-high seven assists and a plus-minus total of +29 in a team-best 37 minutes
- Reached double figures in rebounds (10) for the 11th time in his career (94 games)
