The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
3-1,0-0SEC
Mississippi Valley State
1-3,0-0SWAC
Men's Basketball tops Mississippi Valley State, 89-43
11.16.2024 | Men's Basketball
Arthur Kaluma paces five Longhorns in double-figure scoring with a game-high 18 points.
AUSTIN, Texas — Senior forward Arthur Kaluma registered a game-high 18 points to lead Texas (3-1) to an 89-43 victory over Mississippi Valley State (1-3) on Saturday afternoon in Moody Center. The 46-point win marked the third-largest margin of victory by the Longhorns in Moody Center history, just one game after recording a 47-point victory (105-58) against Chicago State on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Kaluma, who led five Longhorns in double-figure scoring on the night, converted 5-of-8 field goals and 8-of-10 free throws to go along with seven rebounds in 31 minutes. Freshman Tre Johnson also posted 18 points (6-9 FG, 3-5 threes, 3-4 FT) in 28 minutes, while graduate Kadin Shedrick recorded 12 points, seven boards, four blocks and two steals in 21 minutes.
Graduate Julian Larry tallied 13 points (5-7 FG, 3-3 FT) and a game-high four assists in 26 minutes. Junior Jordan Pope added 10 points in 27 minutes and reached the 1,000-point milestone in his collegiate career with a pair of free throws at the 3:57 mark of the second half. Pope now has 1,000 points in 68 collegiate contests.
A back-and-forth opening 10 minutes of the first half featured eight lead changes and four ties before the Longhorns grabbed a 14-12 advantage following a Larry layup at the 9:55 mark. The Delta Devils trimmed the margin to 15-14 after an Alvin Stredic layup with 8:12 remaining. A Donovan Sanders free throw at the 6:50 mark pulled MVSU to within 20-17, before Texas used a 7-0 spurt over the next three minutes to build a 27-17 cushion following a pair of Kaluma free throws with 3:50 left.
Two free throws from Greg Moore helped the Delta Devils close the margin to 30-23 at the 1:50 mark before the Longhorns used a Shedrick free throw and a Shedrick dunk to close out the half with a 33-23 advantage. Texas converted 16-of-24 from the free throw line, while MVSU went 3-of-5 from the stripe in the opening 20 minutes.
The Longhorns opened the second half with a 15-6 spurt over the first 5:19 to build a 48-29 cushion following a Kaluma layup at the 14:41 mark. After a Jair Horton three-pointer cut the deficit to 48-32 with 14:23 left, Texas went on a 14-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes to take a 62-32 advantage following a Pope three-pointer at the 10:45 mark.
The margin ballooned to 42 points (76-34) after a Larry three-point play with 6:31 remaining, and it did not dip below 40 points for the remainder of the contest. Texas converted 17 consecutive field goal attempts from the 15:05 mark to the 3:15 mark of the second half. The Longhorns hit an impressive 77.8-percent (21-27) from the floor in the final 20 minutes, marking the third-highest field goal percentage mark in a half in program history since the 1965-66 season.
Texas will travel to Brooklyn, N.Y., on Thursday, Nov. 21, to face Syracuse in the semifinals of the UKG Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET in Barclays Center, and the contest will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
Texas 89, Mississippi Valley State 43
November 16, 2024
Moody Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 10,457
Team Notes
- The 46-point win marked the third-largest margin of victory recorded by the Longhorns in Moody Center. The record is a 51-point win (82-31) over Houston Christian on Nov. 10, 2022. The second-largest margin of victory (47 points) came in UT's previous game against Chicago State (105-58) on Nov. 12, 2024.
- The Longhorns improved to 33-5 all-time in games played at Moody Center, including a 20-0 record in non-conference contests.
- This marked the first all-time meeting between Texas and Mississippi Valley State.
- At least five different Longhorns reached double figures in scoring for the third consecutive contest.
- Texas set team season highs in field goal percentage (.644), free throws made (26), free throws attempted (36) and blocked shots (7).
- The Longhorns posted a +16 (35-19) rebound margin on the night.
- UT converted 64.4-percent (29-45) from the floor during the victory. The Longhorns limited MVSU to 43 points on 33.3-percent (17-51), including a 9.1-percent (1-11) mark from three-point range.
- Texas recorded a 44-18 advantage in points in the paint, a 21-4 margin in points off turnovers and a 16-2 edge in fast-break points.
- UT hit 77.8-percent (21-27) from the floor in the second half. This marked the third-highest field goal percentage mark in a half in program history since the 1965-66 season. The Longhorns previously converted 80.0-percent (12-15) in the first half at Arkansas on Jan. 24, 1983, and 78.6-percent (11-14) in the second half at Arkansas on Jan. 12, 1981.
- Texas converted 17 consecutive field goal attempts from the 15:05 mark (Kadin Shedrick put-back) to the 3:15 mark (Jamie Vinson dunk) of the second half.
- UT posted a 56-20 scoring margin in the second half. The Longhorns limited MVSU to 29.2-percent (7-24) in the final 20 minutes.
- Texas converted 16-of-24 (.667) from the free throw line, while MVSU hit 3-of-5 from the stripe in the opening 20 minutes.
- Reached double figures in scoring (18 points) for the fourth time in his career (4 games)
- Converted 3-of-5 from three-point range and has made at least 3 threes in all four of his collegiate contests
- Reached double figures in scoring (season-high 18 points) for the fourth time this season (4 games) and the 72nd time in his career (105 games)
- Converted 8-of-10 free throws, just two shy of his collegiate high (10, twice)
- Posted a team-best plus-minus total of plus-45 in 31 minutes
- Kent currently has 995 points in 128 career games
- Reached double figures in scoring (season-high 13 points) for the second time this season (4 games) and the 46th time in his career (134 games)
- Larry currently has 986 points in 134 career games
- Did not play (right ankle)
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the second time this year (4 games) and 56th time in his career (68 games)
- With his made free throw at the 3:57 mark of the second half, Pope reached the 1,000-point mark in his collegiate career
- Pope currently has 1,000 points in 68 career games
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the fourth time this year (4 games) and 37th time in his career (112 games)
- Set his season high in rebounds (7)
- Tied his season high with four blocked shots
