The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
7-2,0-0Big 12
Arkansas - Pine Bluff
1-11,0-0SWAC
No. 17/17 Men's Basketball tops Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 63-31
12.15.2021 | Men's Basketball
UAPB’s 31 points marked a tie for the second-fewest points allowed by Texas since the 1949-50 season.
AUSTIN, Texas — Senior Tre Mitchell registered a game-high 14 points to pace No. 17/17 Texas (7-2) to a 63-31 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-11) on Tuesday evening at the Frank Erwin Center. UAPB's 31 points marked a tie for the second-fewest allowed by Texas since the 1949-50 season.
Texas previously limited Texas State to 27 points in a 59-27 home win on Dec. 13, 2014 and held SMU to 31 points in a 41-31 home victory on Jan. 8, 1952.
Defense was the story of Tuesday's victory, as the Longhorns limited the Golden Lions to 30.8-percent field goal shooting (12-39), including a 5-of-17 mark (.294) from three-point range, and allowed just six assists while forcing 20 turnovers. Texas registered 13 steals during the contest and posted a 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers.
Mitchell was the lone player in the contest to reach double figures in scoring. He converted 4-of-7 field goals, including 2-of-3 threes, and 4-of-6 free throws to go along with five rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 22 minutes. Junior Dylan Disu also saw his first game action as a Longhorn, after missing the final eight games last season while at Vanderbilt due to a left knee injury. Disu posted five rebounds, two points and one blocked shot in 12 minutes.
Texas scored the game's first eight points and dominated the contest from the tip on the defensive end. The Longhorns held the Golden Lions without a made field goal for the first 11:49 of the game, when Kylen Milton drained a three-pointer to trim the margin to 18-5. After a Dequan Morris layup pulled UAPB to within 20-7 at the 6:28 mark, Texas responded with a Mitchell three-pointer and a pair of Marcus Carr free throws to increase its advantage to 25-7 with 4:15 left.
Texas took a 34-16 into the break while limiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 30-percent field goal shooting (6-20), including a 2-of-7 mark from three-point range, in the first half. The Longhorns allowed just three assists while forcing 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half proved to be nearly identical from a defensive efficiency standpoint. Texas held UAPB to 15 points on 31.6-percent field goal shooting (6-19) over the final 20 minutes.
The Longhorns opened the second half with an Andrew Jones layup and a Courtney Ramey three-pointer to increase their cushion to 39-16 at the 18:49 mark. The advantage grew to 30 points (50-20) after a Mitchell free throw with 10:29 remaining, and the margin stayed above 30 points for the final 4:23 of the contest. Eleven of UT's 13 players who saw game action scored during the victory.
Texas returns to action when it travels to face Stanford as part of the Pac-12 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge on Sunday, Dec. 19 in Las Vegas. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central (Noon Pacific) at T-Mobile Arena, and the game will be televised nationally by ABC.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#17/17 Texas 63, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 31
December 14, 2021
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 10,513
Team Notes
- UAPB's 31 points marked a tie for the second-fewest allowed by Texas since the 1949-50 season. The Longhorns limited Texas State to 27 points in a home win on Dec. 13, 2014 and held SMU to 31 points in a home victory on Jan. 8, 1952.
- Texas improved to 540-140 all-time in the Frank Erwin Center. The Longhorns are 268-57 at the Erwin Center in the last 20 seasons (dating to the start of the 2002-03 season), including a 6-0 mark in 2021-22.
- This marked UT's fourth win of the season by at least 30 points.
- Texas held UAPB to 31 points on 30.8-percent FG shooting (12-39), including a 5-of-17 mark (.294) from three-point range, on the night. The Longhorns allowed six assists and forced 20 turnovers.
- UT registered a 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers and a 26-8 margin in points in the paint.
- The Longhorns posted a plus-15 rebound margin (38-23).
- Texas tallied 13 steals during the victory, marking the sixth time in the first nine games that the Longhorns have reached double digits in steals.
- UT set a team season low in turnovers (eight).
- Texas limited the Golden Lions to 16 points on 30-percent FG shooting (6-20), including a 2-of-7 mark (.286) from three-point range, in the first half. UT allowed just three assists against 11 turnovers forced in the opening 20 minutes.
- The Longhorns held UAPB without a made field goal for the first 11:49 of the contest. UAPB earned its first bucket on a three-pointer at the 8:11 mark of the first half.
- UT held UAPB to 15 points on 31.6-percent FG shooting, including a 3-of-10 mark from three-point range, in the second half.
- Made his first start as a Longhorn and tied his season high with three steals in 18 minutes
- Made his Texas debut and grabbed five rebounds to go along with two points and one block in 12 minutes
- Entered the game at the 11:08 mark of the first half, recorded his first block as a Longhorn with 10:01 left in the first half and scored his first basket at the 3:35 mark of the first half
- Reached double figures in scoring (game-high 14 points) for the sixth time this year (nine games) and 47th time in his collegiate career (53 games)
- Registered a team-best plus-minus total of plus-29 in 22 minutes
- Posted 11 points (3-4 FG, 2-3 threes, 3-4 FT) and three rebounds in 13 minutes during the first half
