The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
20-5,9-3Big 12
West Virginia
15-10,4-8Big 12
No. 5/6 Men's Basketball defeats West Virginia, 94-60
02.11.2023 | Men's Basketball
Rice posts a season-high 24 points, and Allen surpasses the 2,000-point mark in his career.
AUSTIN, Texas — Graduate guard Sir'Jabari Rice recorded a season-high 24 points and super senior Timmy Allen reached the 2,000-career point plateau to lead No. 5/6 Texas (20-5, 9-3 Big 12) to a 94-60 victory against West Virginia (15-10, 4-8 Big 12) on Saturday afternoon in Moody Center. The Longhorns recorded their largest margin of victory (34 points) in the series history against West Virginia, topping the previous mark of 27 points in a 77-50 home win on Jan. 27, 2015.
Texas reached the 20-win mark in its 25th contest of the year and its 20-5 record marks its best 25-game start since the 2010-11 season (22-3). UT improved to 13-4 under the leadership of Interim Head Coach Rodney Terry this season.
Rice converted 5-of-6 field goals, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, and a career-high 10-of-10 free throws in just 17 minutes of action. Graduate Marcus Carr tallied 16 points while hitting 7-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-3 threes, to go along with four assists against just one turnover, four boards and three steals in 30 minutes. Allen posted 14 points (6-6 FT), a game-high nine rebounds and four assists without a turnover in 31 minutes. Freshman Arterio Morris registered 12 points while converting 4-of-8 field goals, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, and 21 minutes.
West Virginia jumped out to a 12-8 lead following an Emmitt Matthews Jr. layup at the 14:45 mark. The Longhorns answered with a 7-0 spurt over the next 90 seconds to take a 15-12 advantage with 13:14 left after an Allen jumper that put him over the 2,000-career point plateau. A Kedrian Johnson three-point play trimmed the margin to 20-17 at the 11:03 mark, before Texas went on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to build a 29-17 cushion with 8:11 remaining.
A Seth Wilson jumper cut the deficit to 34-23 at the 5:49 mark, before the Longhorns scored seven-straight points to increase their advantage to 41-23 after a Morris three-pointer with 4:38 left. The Mountaineers closed the gap to 41-27 after a Mohamed Wague dunk at the 3:18 mark, but Texas finished the half on a 10-3 run capped by a Rice dunk just before the buzzer to give the Longhorns a 51-30 cushion at the break. UT converted a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line and posted a 21-5 advantage in points off turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
West Virginia trimmed the deficit to 17 points (51-34) after a Jimmy Bell Jr. free throw at the 16:50 mark, but that was as close as the Mountaineers would get the rest of the way. Texas went on a 7-0 run over the next minute to push their lead to 58-34 following an Allen layup with 15:43 left. The Longhorns increased the margin to 75-45 after a Morris jumper at the 6:02 mark and eventually led by as much as 37 points (84-47) following a Tyrese Hunter layup with 4:00 remaining.
Texas is back in action on Monday, Feb. 13 when it travels to face Texas Tech on "Big Monday." Tip is set for 8 p.m. Central at United Supermarkets Arena, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#5/6 Texas 94, West Virginia 60
February 11, 2023
Moody Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 10,763
Team Notes
- UT improved to 13-4 under the leadership of Interim Head Coach Rodney Terry this season.
- Texas reached the 20-win mark in its 25th contest of the year. By comparison last year, the Longhorns reached the 20-win mark in their 28th game of the season on Feb. 23. Prior to last year, UT had not reached the 20-win mark in the regular season since the 2015-16 season. Texas has now reached the 20-win plateau a total of 34 times in its 117 seasons of basketball.
- UT's 20-5 record marks its best 25-game start since the 2010-11 season (22-3).
- Texas has now had a sellout crowd in EACH of its first 14 contests in Moody Center (13-1 record).
- The 34-point win marked the largest margin of victory by Texas in the series history against West Virginia. The previous mark was 27 points (77-50) in a home win on Jan. 17, 2015.
- The 94 points scored by Texas marked the most scored by UT in the series history against WVU. The previous mark was 88 in an 88-71 home victory on Feb. 15, 2014.
- Texas hit its first 24 free throws during today's game and converted its last six free throws to end Monday's game at Kansas. The 30-straight free throws made set a program record for most consecutive free throws made (records date back to the 1965-66 season). The previous mark was 26 set from Nov. 28, 1972 through Dec. 2, 1972.
- UT set a team season high in free throw percentage (.960, 24-25).
- Texas converted 10-of-17 (.588) from three-point range today. This marked the sixth time this season and first since Jan. 3 (K-State) that UT has reached double digits in three-pointers made.
- The Longhorns posted 16 assists against just six turnovers on the afternoon.
- UT forced 20 turnovers and registered a 32-8 advantage in points off turnovers. The Longhorns have forced at least 15 turnovers in 18 of their first 25 games.
- Texas converted 16-of-16 from the free throw line in the first half. This ties the UT school record for most free throws hit in a single half without a miss (also hit 16-of-16 in the second half at Mississippi on Dec. 2, 1972).
- It also set a school record for most free throws in a half without a miss in a Big 12 Conference game (previous: 14-of-14 in the first half at Kansas State on Jan. 18, 2012).
- The Longhorns forced 13 WVU turnovers and posted a 21-5 advantage in points off turnovers, a 13-3 edge in fast-break points and a 26-8 margin in bench scoring in the opening 20 minutes.
- Reached the 2,000-point mark in his collegiate career with his jumper at the 13:14 mark of the first half
- Has now recorded 2,013 points in 144 career games (14.0 ppg)
- Reached double figures in scoring (14 points) for the 16th time this year (25 games) and 109th time in his career (144 games)
- Added a game-high nine rebounds and four assists without a turnover in 31 minutes played
- Reached double figures in scoring (16 points) for the 22nd time this year (25 games) and 107th time in his career (151 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the fifth time in his career (25 games)
- Set his season high in scoring (24 points), previous: 21, twice
- Set his collegiate career high in free throws made (10-10), previous: 9, twice
- Tied his season high in three-point field goals made (4-of-5)
- Topped the 20-point mark for the third time this season (25 games) and 15th time in his career (136 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 15th time this season and 73rd time in his career
- Became the ninth UT player to make at least 10 free throws without a miss in a Big 12 Conference game and first since Isaiah Taylor went 13-of-13 against West Virginia on Feb. 16, 2016
