The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
26-8,12-6Big 12
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Kansas
27-7,13-5Big 12
No. 7/7 Men's Basketball beats No. 3/4 Kansas, 76-56, to win Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship
03.11.2023 | Men's Basketball, Longhorn Foundation
Disu posts a team-high 18 points and claims Most Outstanding Player accolades.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Senior forward Dylan Disu recorded a team-high 18 points to lead No. 7/7 Texas (26-8) to a convincing 76-56 win against No. 3/4 Kansas (27-7) in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship final on Saturday night in T-Mobile Center. Disu, who averaged a team-best 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds while converting 17-of-23 (.739) field goals during the three postseason league tourney contests in Kansas City, was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
The Longhorns claimed their second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title, as UT previously earned the crown in 2021. Texas set a school single-season record with its ninth victory against an AP Top 25 opponent, as the Longhorns improved to 9-6 against AP Top 25 teams this year. UT went 8-5 against AP-ranked foes in 2003-04. The Longhorns recorded their 14th Quad 1 victory of the season, second-most nationally behind Kansas (17), and moved to 6-3 against AP Top 11 opponents this year.
Disu converted 7-of-9 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws while adding six rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes. Graduate Marcus Carr posted 17 points while hitting 8-of-15 field goals to go along with three rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes. Graduate Sir'Jabari Rice also tallied 17 points while connecting on 7-of-12 field goals and adding three assists in 36 minutes.
Disu scored UT's opening six points of the contest and the Longhorns grabbed a 10-7 lead following a Dillon Mitchell layup at the 16:10 mark. Kansas used a 6-0 spurt to take a 13-10 advantage after a Joseph Yesufu layup with 15:01 left, before Texas responded with a 9-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes to build a 19-13 cushion following a Christian Bishop layup at the 11:36 mark.
Kansas ran off six-straight points and evened the score at 19-19 after a Jalen Wilson three-pointer with 9:36 remaining. Another Wilson jumper gave the Jayhawks a 28-25 lead at the 6:09 mark, but the Longhorns answered with a 10-0 run over the next 3:23 to build a 35-28 advantage following an Arterio Morris three-pointer with 2:44 left. Kansas trimmed the margin to 35-33 after a Yesufu jumper at the 1:24 mark, before the Longhorns closed the half with back-to-back baskets from Rice and Carr to take a 39-33 lead at the break.
A Wilson layup pulled the Jayhawks to within 47-41 at the 17:00 mark, before Texas used a 6-0 spurt over the next 3:32 to increase its cushion to 53-41 after a Morris free throw with 13:28 remaining. The Longhorns extended their advantage to 60-45 following a Carr layup at the 9:20 mark.
A Wilson three-point play cut the deficit to 60-48 with 9:03 left, but Texas responded with a 10-2 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes to build a 70-50 cushion after a Morris dunk at the 4:36 mark. The lead did not dip below 18 points for the remainder of the contest.
The 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Selection Show will air beginning at 5 p.m. Central on Sunday, March 12.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#7/7 Texas 76, #3/4 Kansas 56
Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Final
March 11, 2023
T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
Attendance: 17,763
Team Notes
- Texas captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title, as the Longhorns previously won the crown in 2021. This marks the fourth overall conference postseason tourney title for UT, which also won Southwest Conference Tournament championships in 1994 and 1995.
- UT improved to 19-7 under the leadership of Interim Head Coach Rodney Terry this season. Terry has guided the Longhorns to seven victories against AP Top 25 opponents.
- The Longhorns improved to 14-8 in Quad 1 games this season. The 14 Quad 1 wins are the second-most nationally (Kansas is 17-7).
- Texas set a school single-season record with its ninth victory against an AP Top 25 opponent. The Longhorns improved to 9-6 against AP Top 25 teams this year. UT went 8-5 against AP Top 25 opponents during the 2003-04 season.
- UT improved to 6-3 against AP Top 11 opponents this season. The Longhorns have posted wins against No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Kansas (twice, once at home and once on neutral court), No. 7 Creighton, No. 11 Baylor and at No. 7 K-State.
- Texas improved to 52-43 all-time in league postseason tournament games, including a 31-24 mark in its 26 trips to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
- Fifteen of UT's 26 victories have been by at least 10 points.
- The Longhorns improved to 19-0 this year when leading at the half.
- Texas has now won five of the last seven meetings against the Jayhawks. The Longhorns claimed victories in two of the three matchups during the 2022-23 season.
- UT held Kansas to 56 points and allowed just eight assists while forcing 15 turnovers. Texas has now forced at least 15 turnovers in 24 of its first 34 contests this year.
- The Longhorns registered a 17-4 advantage in points off turnovers and a 20-3 edge in bench scoring.
- Texas recorded a 37-23 scoring margin in the second half. The Longhorns converted 53.3-percent (16-30) from the floor while holding Kansas to 40.7-percent (11-27) field goal shooting, including an 0-of-7 mark from three-point range, in the final 20 minutes.
- All eight players in the Texas rotation scored in the opening 20 minutes.
- Did not play due to a right lower leg injury (status is day-to-day moving forward)
- Recorded eight points (2-4 threes), a game-high nine rebounds (five offensive), three assists and two steals in 26 minutes
- Named to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
- Reached double figures in scoring (17 points) for the 30th time this year (34 games) and 115th time in his career (160 games)
- Named the Most Outstanding Player of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship
- Reached double figures in scoring (team-high 18 points) for the 15th time this year (33 games) and 44th time in his career (108 games)
- Converted 7-of-9 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws while adding six rebounds and two assists
- Registered a team-best plus-minus total of plus-20 in 21 minutes of action
- Named to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
- Reached double figures in scoring (17 points) for the 22nd time this season (34 games) and 80th time in his career (145 games)
