The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
12-4,1-2Big 12
West Virginia
6-10,1-2Big 12
No. 25 Men's Basketball falls at West Virginia, 76-73
01.13.2024 | Men's Basketball
Abmas posts a season-high 32 points while converting 7-of-13 three-pointers.
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Graduate guard Max Abmas recorded a season-high 32 points, but No. 25 Texas (12-4, 1-2 Big 12) dropped a 76-73 decision at West Virginia (6-10, 1-2 Big 12) on Saturday night in the WVU Coliseum. The setback snapped a four-game winning streak by the Longhorns against the Mountaineers.
Abmas converted 9-of-17 field goals, including tying his collegiate career high by hitting 7-of-13 from three-point range, and a season-best 7-of-8 free throws in 37 minutes. Abmas moved into a tie for No. 17 with Larry Bird of Indiana State on the all-time NCAA Division I career scoring list (2,850 points). Graduate forward Dylan Disu added 18 points (7-12 FG, 2-4 threes) and six rebounds in 27 minutes, and junior forward Ze'Rik Onyema set his season high with eight rebounds in 13 minutes.
A back-and-forth first half featured 11 lead changes and four ties and neither team led by more than four points. After a Dillon Mitchell dunk gave the Longhorns an 11-10 advantage at the 14:09 mark, the Mountaineers scored five straight points to build a 15-11 cushion following a pair of Akok Akok free throws with 11:30 remaining.
West Virginia took an 18-16 lead after a Kobe Johnson layup at the 6:34 mark, before the Longhorns went on a 5-0 run to grab a 21-18 advantage following an Abmas three-pointer with 5:24 left. A pair of Onyema free throws evened the score at 28-28 at the 1:10 mark, but a Pat Suemnick turnaround jumper with 42 seconds left gave the Mountaineers a 30-28 cushion heading into the break.
West Virginia took a 33-28 advantage after a Kerr Kriisa three-pointer at the 19:24 mark, before the Longhorns went on a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to build a 35-33 lead following a Mitchell layup with 17:32 remaining. Texas grabbed a 38-35 cushion after a Disu free throw at the 16:25 mark, but the Mountaineers scored eight straight points to take a 43-38 lead following a Quinn Slazinski jumper with 14:23 left.
After a Disu putback trimmed the margin to 52-48 at the 8:37 mark, West Virginia used a 7-0 spurt over the next three minutes to increase its cushion to 59-48 following a pair of Slazinski free throws with 5:45 remaining. The Longhorns cut the deficit to three points a total of five times in the final 1:30 of the contest but could not get any closer.
Texas is back in action when it hosts UCF on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central in Moody Center, and the game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
West Virginia 76, #25/nr Texas 73
January 13, 2024
WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W. Va.)
Attendance: 11,565
Team Notes
- Texas dropped to 10-2 under head coach Rodney Terry in games decided by five points or less OR in overtime.
- UT now holds a 17-11 advantage in the all-time series against West Virginia.
- The Longhorns had won four straight and six of the last seven against West Virginia in the series entering tonight's contest.
- Tonight's game featured 13 lead changes and six ties.
- Texas registered a 15-5 advantage in fast-break points.
- The Longhorns committed a season-high 22 turnovers, previous: 20 vs. Delaware State (Nov. 10).
- Texas also set a team season high 28 fouls, previous: 21 vs. Louisville (Nov. 19).
- West Virginia went 27-of-41 from the free throw line, while the Longhorns hit 16-of-21 free throws.
- Set his season high in scoring (32 points), previous: 26 vs. Texas State (Nov. 30)
- Tied his collegiate career high in three-point field goals made (7-13); this marked the seventh time in his career that he hit 7 threes in a game
- Set his season high in three-point field goals made, previous: 5 vs. Texas State (Nov. 30)
- Eclipsed the 30-point mark for the first time this year (16 games) and 19th time in his career (139 games)
- Topped the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season and 72nd time in his career
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 16th time this year and 128th time in his career
- Set his season high in free throws made (7-8), previous: 6 vs. A&M-Corpus (Dec. 22)
- Has now reached double figures in scoring in 38 consecutive games
- Moved into a tie with Larry Bird (Indiana State) for No. 17 on the NCAA all-time Division I career scoring list with 2,850 points in 139 games (also passed Otis Birdsong of Houston at 2,832). Next up at No. 16 is Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) at 2,872.
- Topped the 1,000-point mark in his collegiate career with a turnaround jumper at the 17:55 mark of the second half
- Has now registered 1,014 points in 118 career collegiate games
- Reached double figures in scoring (18 points) for the fourth time this year (7 games) and 50th time in his career (118 games)
- Tied his season high in rebounds (6)
- Set his season high in rebounds (8), previous: 7, twice
