The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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UTEP
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No. 12/12 Men's Basketball defeats UTEP, 72-57, in season opener
11.08.2022 | Men's Basketball
Tyrese Hunter records a game-high 18 points in front of a sellout crowd in the first game played at Moody Center.
AUSTIN, Texas — Sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter posted a game-high 18 points to lead No. 12/12 Texas (1-0) to a 72-57 victory against UTEP (0-1) in the season opener for both teams on Monday night at Moody Center. Monday's contest marked the first basketball contest played at Moody Center and featured a sellout crowd of 11,313 fans.
The Longhorns won their 21st consecutive home opener and improved to 20-1 in their last 21 season openers.
Texas converted 54.8-percent (23-42) from the floor and 75.9-percent (22-29) from the free throw line on the evening. UT registered a 16-1 advantage in fast-break points and a 21-10 margin in points off turnovers during the contest. The Longhorns allowed just eight assists while forcing 19 UTEP turnovers.
Hunter converted 6-of-8 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws while adding five rebounds in 31 minutes. Graduate Sir'Jabari Rice posted 14 points (4-6 FG, 4-4 FT) and a team-best six rebounds in 26 minutes. Graduate Marcus Carr tallied 12 points (8-10 FT) and a team-high six assists in 30 minutes, and senior Dylan Disu recorded 10 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT) and two blocks in 23 minutes.
UTEP's Tre Hardy recorded the first points in Moody Center history with a layup at the 18:24 mark. Timmy Allen notched the first basket by a Longhorn in Moody Center by converting an old-fashioned three-point play with 17:58 remaining.
After an Otis Frazier III layup pulled the Miners to within 9-8 at the 10:14 mark, the Longhorns used an 11-0 run a span of nearly three minutes to build a 20-8 advantage following a Rice three-pointer with 7:31 remaining. Texas extended its cushion to 31-14 after a Hunter three-pointer at the 4:13 mark. UTEP closed the half with a 6-2 spurt to trim the margin to 33-20 at the break.
The Longhorns converted 47.8-percent from the floor (11-23) in the opening 20 minutes and registered a 12-0 advantage in fast-break points and a 15-4 edge in points off turnovers. Texas forced 14 first-half turnovers by the Miners.
UT extended its cushion to 41-25 following a Disu layup at the 15:38 mark. UTEP rallied to cut the deficit to eight points on three occasions midway through the second half, the latest coming after a Kevin Kalu dunk trimmed the lead to 52-44 with 7:42 remaining.
The Longhorns responded with an 8-0 run to build a 60-44 advantage following a Rice layup at the 5:09 mark. Texas increased its lead to as much as 20 points (67-47) after a Rice three-pointer with 3:56 left. The Longhorns converted 63.2-percent from the floor (12-19) and 82.4-percent from the free throw line (14-17) in the second half.
Texas returns to the court on Thursday, Nov. 10, when it hosts Houston Christian. Tip is set for 8 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#12/12 Texas 72, UTEP 57
First game in Moody Center
November 7, 2022
Moody Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 11,313 (sellout)
Team Notes
- UT tipped off its 117th season of intercollegiate basketball with a 72-57 home victory against UTEP.
- Monday's contest marked the first basketball game at Moody Center with an official attendance of 11,313 (sellout).
- UTEP's Tre Hardy recorded the first points in Moody Center history with a layup at the 18:24 mark.
- Timmy Allen notched the first points for the Longhorns in Moody Center history with an old-fashioned three-point play at the 17:58 mark.
- Texas improved to 97-20 all-time in season-opening games and has won 20 of its last 21 season-opening contests.
- UT improved to 102-15 all-time in home-opening contests.
- The Longhorns won their 21st consecutive home opener.
- UT converted 54.8-percent from the floor (23-42) on the night.
- The Longhorns hit 22-of-29 (.759) from the free throw line, while UTEP went 10-of-15 (.667) at the stripe.
- UT allowed just eight assists while forcing 19 turnovers.
- Texas registered a 16-1 advantage in fast-break points and a 21-10 margin in points off turnovers for the contest.
- The Longhorns converted 63.2-percent from the floor (12-19) and 82.4-percent from the free throw line (14-17) in the second half.
- Texas posted a 12-0 advantage in fast-break points and a 15-4 edge in points off turnovers in the first half. The Longhorns forced 10 UTEP turnovers in the first half.
- The Longhorns led by as much as 20 points (67-47) with 3:56 remaining in the contest.
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the first time this season (1 game) and 86th time in his collegiate career (127 games)
- Added a team-high five assists and converted 8-of-10 free throws in 30 minutes while posting a team-best plus-minus total of plus-17
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the first time this season (1 game) and 30th time in his collegiate career (76 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (game-high 18 points) for the first time at Texas (1 game) and the 21st time in his collegiate career (36 games)
- Became the 39th true freshman in UT program history to start a season opener since freshmen became eligible beginning in the 1972-73 season
- First freshman to start a season opener since Greg Brown III in the 2020-21 season
- Reached double figures in scoring (14 points) for the first time at Texas (1 game) and the 59th time in his collegiate career (112 games)
- Added a team-high six rebounds in 26 minutes
