The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Saint Joseph's
Men's Basketball tops Saint Joseph’s 67-58 in UKG Legends Classic title game
11.23.2024 | Men's Basketball
Tre Johnson claims tournament MVP honors after posting a game-high 17 points in Friday’s win.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Freshman Tre Johnson recorded a game-high 17 points to pace Texas (5-1) to a 67-58 victory against Saint Joseph's (4-2) in the championship game of the UKG Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper on Friday evening in Barclays Center. This marked UT's first regular-season neutral-site MTE (multi-team event) title since the 2020 Maui Invitational.
The Longhorn defense proved to be the difference in the contest, as Texas held Saint Joseph's to just 58 points on 31.8-percent (21-66) from the floor, including a 30.4-percent (7-23) mark from three-point range. Johnson, who earned tournament MVP honors, converted 7-of-18 field goals in 33 minutes. Senior Arthur Kaluma, who joined Johnson as part of the five-person All-Tournament Team, posted 14 points, four boards, four assists and three blocks in 37 minutes.
Graduate Julian Larry registered 12 points (3-4 FG, 2-2 threes, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes. Larry reached the 1,000-point mark in his collegiate career with a driving layup at the 7:26 mark of the second half and now has posted 1,002 points in 136 career games. Graduate Kadin Shedrick added 10 points (5-10 FG), six rebounds, two blocks and two assists in 24 minutes.
Texas jumped out to a 7-2 advantage following a Kaluma three-pointer at the 17:50 mark. After a pair of Kaluma free throws gave the Longhorns an 11-6 lead with 15:50 remaining, the Hawks scored four straight points to trim the deficit to 11-10 following a Rasheer Fleming layup at the 13:42 mark. Texas increased its cushion to 17-12 after a Shedrick layup with 10:46 left, but St. Joe's responded with a 6-0 spurt over the next 90 seconds to grab an 18-17 advantage following an Anthony Finkley three-pointer at the 9:11 mark.
The Hawks took a 24-21 cushion after a Dasear Haskins free throw with 5:13 remaining, before the Longhorns answered with an 11-2 run over the next three-plus minutes to build a 32-26 advantage following a Johnson three-pointer at the 1:38 mark. St. Joe's scored the final four points of the half to trim the margin to 32-30 at the break. Texas held the Hawks to 30.3-percent (10-33) from the floor, including a 3-of-11 (.273) mark from three-point range, in the opening 20 minutes.
A Jordan Pope turnaround jumper gave the Longhorns a 38-36 cushion with 13:46 remaining, before St. Joe's rallied to build a 50-46 advantage following a Fleming dunk at the 8:25 mark. Texas answered by scoring five straight points to take a 51-50 lead after a Kaluma three-pointer with 6:01 left, but the Hawks responded with a Fleming follow dunk to grab a 52-51 advantage at the 5:29 mark.
The Longhorns used an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to build a 59-52 cushion following a Johnson layup with 2:26 left. St. Joe's trimmed the margin to 59-55 after a Fleming three-point play at the 2:02 mark, before Texas sealed the victory by scoring six straight points to increase its advantage to 65-55 following a pair of Larry free throws with 43 seconds left.
The Longhorns return to the court when they host Delaware State on Friday, Nov. 29. Tip is set for 8 p.m. Central in Moody Center, and the contest will be televised nationally by SEC Network.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
Texas 67, Saint Joseph's 58
UKG Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper Championship Game
November 22, 2024
Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Attendance: 6,572
Team Notes
- With the victory, Texas claimed its first regular-season neutral-site MTE (multi-team event) championship since the 2020 Maui Invitational (which was held in Asheville, N.C. due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
- Texas improved to 5-0 in the all-time series against Saint Joseph's. This marked the first meeting between the two schools since the quarterfinals of the 2008 Maui Invitational.
- The Longhorns limited St. Joe's to 58 points on 31.8-percent (21-66) from the floor, including a 30.4-percent (7-23) mark from three-point range, on the night.
- The game featured 10 lead changes and eight ties.
- Texas trailed 52-51 with 5:29 remaining in the contest after a Rasheer Fleming follow dunk. The Longhorns closed out the victory with a 16-6 run.
- UT converted 8-of-9 free throws in the second half, including a 6-of-7 mark in the final 3:13.
- The Longhorns held St. Joe's to 30.3-percent (10-33) from the floor, including a 3-of-11 (.273) mark from three-point range, in the opening 20 minutes.
- Reached double figures in scoring (game-high 17 points) for the sixth time in his career (6 games)
- Has led or tied for the team lead in scoring in each of his first six collegiate contests
- Reached double figures in scoring (14 points) for the sixth time this season (6 games) and the 74th time in his career (107 games)
- Did not play (right wrist)
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the third time this year (6 games) and 47th time in his career (136 games)
- With his driving layup at the 7:26 mark of the second half, he reached the 1,000-point mark in his collegiate career
- Has now recorded 1,002 points in 136 career games
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the fifth time this year (6 games) and 38th time in his career (114 games)
- Posted two blocked shots in 24 minutes of action
- Has recorded multiple blocks in four of his first six games this year
- Recorded a team-best plus-minus total of plus-18 in 18 minutes of action
