The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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LSU
6-5,0-0SEC
No. 19/22 Men's Basketball defeats LSU, 96-85
12.16.2023 | Men's Basketball
Disu records 17 points and a career-high five assists in his return to the court on Saturday afternoon in Houston.
HOUSTON, Texas — Graduate forward Dylan Disu registered 17 points while hitting a career-best 9-of-9 free throws and added a career-high five assists without a turnover to lead No. 19/22 Texas (8-2) to a 96-85 victory against LSU (6-5) in the first game of The Halal Guys Showcase on Saturday afternoon at the Toyota Center. Disu returned to the court for the first time since he played just two minutes in the NCAA Sweet 16 victory against Xavier last year (March 24, 2023).
Graduate guard Max Abmas posted a team-high 20 points (4-9 threes, 4-4 FT), a season-high six rebounds and tied his season high with seven assists in 35 minutes. Junior guard Tyrese Hunter was named the Halal Guys Showcase Most Valuable Player in the Texas-LSU contest after tallying a season-high 19 points (8-11 FG, 2-4 threes), four assists and three rebounds in a season-best 38 minutes. Sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell recorded his fourth double-double through the first 10 games this season with 12 points (4-5 FG, 4-6 FT) and 10 rebounds to go along with two steals in 27 minutes.
Texas scored a season-high 96 points while converting 54.2-percent (32-59) from the floor, including a 50-percent (10-20) mark from three-point range, and 88-percent (22-25) from the free throw line. UT registered 21 assists (on 32 field goals made) against just 13 turnovers.
The Longhorns scored the opening five points of the contest and never trailed in the game. LSU trimmed the margin to 8-5 after a Jalen Reed layup at the 16:22 mark, before Texas used a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to build an 18-5 advantage following a three-point play from Disu with 14:34 left. The Tigers cut the gap to 22-15 after a Hunter Dean three-point play at the 12:16 mark, but the Longhorns responded with a 12-3 spurt over the next four minutes to increase their lead to 34-18 following an Abmas three-pointer with 8:22 left.
The margin did not dip below 10 points for the remainder of the half. Texas pushed the cushion to as much as 20 points (54-34) after a pair of Disu free throws at the 1:25 mark, and the Longhorns took a 56-37 lead into the break. The Longhorns converted 60.6-percent (20-33) from the floor, including a 6-of-9 (.667) mark from three-point range, and 10-of-13 (.769) from the free throw line in the opening 20 minutes. The 56 points marked the most points in any half by Texas this year, topping the 48 scored in the first half of the season opener against Incarnate Word (Nov. 6).
Texas took its largest lead of the afternoon at 22 points (61-39) following a Kadin Shedrick layup at the 19:06 mark. The Tigers went on a 14-4 run over the next four-plus minutes to trim the deficit to 65-53 after a Trae Hannibal layup with 14:47 left. A Brock Cunningham three-pointer extended the cushion to 70-55 at the 12:03 mark.
LSU responded with an 8-0 spurt over the next two-and-a-half minutes to cut the gap to 70-63 following a Jordan Wright layup at the 9:34 mark, but that would be as close as the Tigers would get the rest of the way. Texas scored six-straight points at the free throw line to build a 76-63 cushion after a pair of Disu free throws at the 7:20 mark to seal the outcome.
Texas returns to the court when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday, Dec. 22. 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
#19/22 Texas 96, LSU 85
The Halal Guys Showcase
December 16, 2023
Toyota Center (Houston, Texas)
Attendance: 12,152
Team Notes
- Texas improved to 12-20 in the all-time series against LSU.
- The Longhorns led from start-to-finish for the third time in their first 10 games this year.
- UT registered team season highs in points (96), free throws made (22) and free throws attempted (25).
- The Longhorns converted 54.2-percent (32-59) from the floor, including a 50-percent (10-20) mark from three-point range, and 88-percent (22-25) from the free throw line during the victory.
- Texas recorded 21 assists (on 32 field goals made) against 13 turnovers on the afternoon.
- UT reached double digits in three-point field goals made (10-20) for the fourth time this season and first since the home win over Rice (Nov. 15).
- Texas posted 56 points in the first half while hitting 60.6-percent (20-33) from the floor, including a 6-of-9 (.667) mark from three-point range, and 10-of-13 (.769) from the free throw line.
- The 56 points marked the highest point total in any half for the Longhorns this season. The previous high was 48 in the first half in the season opener against Incarnate Word (Nov. 6).
- Set his season high in rebounds (6), previous: 5, twice
- Tied his season high in assists (7), also had 7 vs. HCU (Dec. 9)
- Tied his season high in free throws made (4-4), also had 4 vs. Wyoming (Nov. 26)
- Topped the 20-point mark (team-high 20 points) for the fourth time this season (10 games) and 71st time in his career (133 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 10th time this year and 122nd time in his career
- Moved into 23rd place on the NCAA Division I all-time career scoring list with 2,740 points, surpassing Hank Gathers of USC/Loyola Marymount (2,273). Next up at No. 22 is Markus Howard (Marquette) at 2,761 points.
- Moved into a tie for seventh place on the NCAA Division I all-time three-point field goals made chart with 450 threes made (tied David Holston of Chicago State at 450)
- Tied his collegiate career high in three-point field goals made (3-4), also made 3 threes twice previously
- Added three assists without a turnover and two steals in 22 minutes
- Returned to the court for the first time since he played two minutes against Xavier in last year's NCAA Sweet 16 game on March 24, 2023 (left foot surgery)
- Set his collegiate career high in assists (5), previous: 4 vs. UTRGV on Nov. 26, 2022, and did not commit a turnover
- Set his collegiate career high in free throws made (9-9), previous: 8 vs. Kentucky (Feb. 17, 2021)
- Reached double figures in scoring (17 points) for the first time this year (1 game) and 47th time in his career (112 games)
- Converted 4-of-8 field goals and added four rebounds and one blocked shot
- Registered a team-best plus-minus total of plus-16 in 20:23 of game action
- Entered the game at the 15:12 mark of the first half
- Reached double figures in scoring (19 points) for the eighth time this year (10 games) and 48th time in his career (83 games)
- Set season highs in points (19), field goals made (8-11) and minutes (38)
- Recognized by The Halal Guys Showcase as the MVP of the Texas-LSU contest
- Recorded a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) for the fourth time this season (10 games) and fifth time in his career (48 games)
- Reached double figures in points for the sixth time this year and 12th time in his career
- Reached double figures in rebounds for the sixth time this season and eighth time in his career
- Tied his season high in steals (2)
