The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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UConn
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No. 15/17 Men's Basketball falls to No. 5/4 UConn, 81-71
11.21.2023 | Men's Basketball
Mitchell records a career-high 21 points and eight rebounds on Monday night in the championship game of the Saatva Empire Classic.
NEW YORK — Sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell posted a career-best 21 points, but No. 15/17 Texas (4-1) dropped an 81-71 decision to No. 5/4 UConn (5-0) on Monday night in the championship game of the Saatva Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden. After posting a career-high 27 points in Sunday's semifinal win over Louisville, graduate forward Kadin Shedrick did not play in Monday's game (shoulders, precautionary).
Mitchell converted a career-best 9-of-12 field goals while adding a game-high eight rebounds (four offensive) and tied a career high with two blocks in a career-best 37 minutes. Junior guard Tyrese Hunter registered all 13 of his points in the second half while adding a season-high seven assists without a turnover and a season-best five rebounds in 32 minutes.
Graduate guard Ithiel Horton recorded 11 points (4-9 FG) in 25 minutes, and graduate guard Max Abmas posted 10 points and five assists against just one turnover in 35 minutes. Abmas earned a spot on the five-person All-Tournament team after he knocked down the game-winning jumper with 0.4 seconds left in Sunday's victory over Louisville.
UConn jumped out to a 9-2 advantage following a layup by Alex Karaban at the 17:27 mark. The Longhorns trimmed the deficit to 14-9 after a Mitchell dunk with 14:42 remaining, before the Huskies went on a 13-2 run over the next three minutes to build a 27-11 cushion following a Donovan Clingan three-point play at the 11:21 mark. Texas pulled to within 39-29 after a Brock Cunningham three-pointer with 3:24 left and again cut the gap to 10 points (42-32) following a Chendall Weaver three-point play with 1:31 remaining, but UConn scored four of the final five points of the half to take a 46-33 lead at the break.
Texas started the second half with a 5-0 spurt to trim the margin to 46-38 after a Mitchell jumper at the 19:20 mark and later closed to within six points (56-50) following a Ze'Rik Onyema three-point play with 14:33 remaining. The Huskies increased their cushion to 71-57 after a Clingan put-back at the 7:24 mark, before the Longhorns went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 71-67 following a Horton three-pointer with 5:24 left. Trailing 75-69 following a Hunter dunk at the 3:39 mark, Texas had three opportunities to cut further into the lead but UConn closed out the contest with a 6-2 run.
Texas returns to the court when it hosts Wyoming (4-1) on Sunday, Nov. 26. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central at Moody Center, and the game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#5/4 UConn 81, #15/17 Texas 71
Saatva Empire Classic Championship Game
November 20, 2023
Madison Square Garden (New York, N.Y.)
Attendance: 10,988
Team Notes
- Texas finished as the runner-up in the 2023 Saatva Empire Classic with its loss to UConn.
- This marked UT's seventh all-time appearance in the Empire Classic. The Longhorns also competed in the event in 1997, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2019.
- After being outscored 46-33 in the opening 20 minutes, the Longhorns posted a 38-35 scoring margin in the second half. Texas converted 50-percent (15-30) from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
- The Longhorns limited the Huskies to a 29.2-percent mark (7-24) from three-point range on the night.
- Texas tallied 16 assists against just six turnovers in the contest. The Longhorns committed a total of just 11 turnovers during their two games at the Empire Classic (5 vs. Louisville on Sunday).
- After trailing by as much as 16 points (27-11) at the 11:21 mark of the first half, the Longhorns trimmed the margin to four points (71-67) following an Ithiel Horton three-pointer with 5:24 left in the contest.
- Texas played without graduate F Kadin Shedrick (shoulders, precautionary). Shedrick recorded a career-best 27 points in Sunday's win over Louisville.
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the fifth time this year (5 games) and 117th time in his career (128 games)
- Tied his season high in assists (5) while committing just one turnover in 35 minutes
- Reached double figures in scoring (11 points) for the fourth time this year (5 games) and 64th time in his career (107 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (13 points) for the fourth time this year (5 games) and 44th time in his career (78 games)
- Scored all 13 of his points in the second half
- Set his season high in assists (7), previous: 5 (twice) and did not commit a turnover in 32 minutes
- Set his season high in rebounds (5), previous: 3 (twice)
- Set his career high in scoring (21 points), previous: 16 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 27, 2022
- Set his career high in field goals made (9-12), previous: 8 vs. A&M-Commerce on Dec. 27, 2022
- Set his career high in minutes (37), previous: 34 vs. Rice on Nov. 15, 2023
- Tied his career high in blocked shots (2)
- Topped the 20-point mark for the first time this year (5 games) and in his career (43 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the second time this year and eighth time in his career
- Added a game-high eight rebounds (four offensive)
- Set his season high in minutes (28), previous: 18 vs. UIW (Nov. 6) and was just three minutes shy of his collegiate career high (31 while at UTEP at FIU on Feb. 23, 2023)
- Did not play (shoulders, precautionary)
2023 Saatva Empire Classic All-Tournament Team:
Tristen Newton (UConn) – MVP, Alex Karaban (UConn), Max Abmas (TEXAS), Malik Reneau (Indiana), Skyy Clark (Louisville)
