The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
14-6,3-4SEC
Texas A&M
15-5,4-3SEC
Mark’s game-winner lifts Men's Basketball to 70-69 win over No. 13/13 Texas A&M
01.25.2025 | Men's Basketball
Mark converts layup with 3.7 seconds left, and Johnson adds a career-high 30 points as the Longhorns erase a 22-point second-half deficit on Saturday.
AUSTIN, Texas — Graduate guard Tramon Mark converted the game-winning layup with 3.7 seconds left to lead Texas (14-6, 3-4 SEC) to a dramatic 70-69 victory over No. 13/13 Texas A&M (15-5, 4-3 SEC) in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown on Saturday inside Moody Center. The Longhorns erased a 22-point deficit with 17:07 left in the second half, tying the program record for the largest comeback since at least the start of the 1998-99 season.
Mark recorded 11 points (4-8 FG, 2-4 threes, 1-1 FT), two assists, two boards and one block in 24 minutes. Freshman guard Tre Johnson tallied a career-high 30 points (8-18 FG, 4-10 threes, career-best 10-10 FT), four assists against just one turnover and two blocked shots in 37 minutes. Texas earned the win despite playing without two key rotation pieces, Arthur Kaluma (left knee) and Chendall Weaver (left groin), due to injury.
Saturday's comeback victory from 22 points down equaled the previous mark set during the 2012-13 season. The Longhorns trailed Oklahoma 67-45 with 7:54 remaining in regulation before rallying for a 92-86 home overtime victory on Feb. 27, 2013.
Texas A&M jumped out to a 7-2 advantage following a three-point play from Manny Obaseki at the 15:33 mark. A Jordan Pope three-pointer trimmed the lead to 17-13 with 10:35 left, but the Aggies scored nine straight points to build a 26-13 cushion after a Jace Carter three-pointer at the 9:12 mark.
Texas A&M increased its advantage to 41-20 following a Zhuric Phelps three-pointer with 2:45 left, before the Longhorns cut the deficit to 43-25 at the break. The Aggies converted 8-of-15 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.
Texas A&M grabbed its largest lead of the game at 51-29 with 17:07 remaining after a Wade Taylor IV three-pointer. A Pharrel Payne jumper gave the Aggies a 55-37 advantage at the 13:37 mark, before Texas went on a 13-1 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes to cut the margin to 56-50 following a pair of Kadin Shedrick free throws with 9:16 left.
Texas A&M answered with an 8-0 spurt over the next two-plus minutes to build a 64-50 cushion after another Taylor IV three-pointer at the 6:43 mark. The Longhorns responded with a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to pull within 64-60 following a Jayson Kent free throw with 3:48 left.
An Andersson Garcia put-back gave the Aggies a 69-63 advantage at the 1:46 mark. Texas then closed out the game with a furious rally, starting with a Mark layup with 1:25 left to pull to within 69-65. After a defensive stop, Johnson knocked down a three-pointer to trim the lead to 69-68 with 46 seconds left. Julian Larry then blocked a layup attempt by Taylor IV on the ensuing possession, and Kadin Shedrick grabbed the defensive board to setup the finish. On UT's final possession, Larry found Mark isolated at the top of the key and Mark took a couple dribbles toward the basket before lifting a left-handed layup off the glass and through the net to give Texas its only lead of the contest. Taylor IV's long three-point attempt from just inside half-court bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer.
Texas returns to action when it travels to face No. 16/16 Ole Miss on Wednesday, Jan 29. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, and the contest will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown
Texas 70, #13/13 Texas A&M 69
January 25, 2025
Moody Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 11,313
Team Notes
- The Longhorns have now won 11 consecutive home contests and 24 of the last 25 home games against Texas A&M.
- Today's meeting marked the first meeting in Austin between the two rivals since a 61-51 Texas victory on Jan. 11, 2012.
- The Longhorns have won seven of the last nine and 44 of the last 55 meetings against Texas A&M since the start of the 1989-90 season.
- Texas registered its second-straight win this week against an AP-ranked opponent (No. 13 Texas A&M). UT posted a home victory over No. 22 Missouri on Tuesday night.
- Texas improved to 9-5 all-time against AP Top 25 opponents in Moody Center.
- The Longhorns improved to 40-8 all-time in games played in Moody Center.
- Texas has now registered 13 victories against AP Top 25 opponents under head coach Rodney Terry.
- Texas A&M marked the sixth ranked opponent that the Longhorns have faced in their last seven contests.
- Texas led for only the final 3.7 seconds of the contest, following Tramon Mark's game-winning basket. The game featured just one lead change and one tie, and Texas A&M led for a total time of 37:03.
- Texas A&M led by as much as 22 points (51-29) at the 17:07 mark of the second half. The 22-point comeback ties for the largest comeback by Texas since at least the start of the 1998-99 season. The Longhorns trailed by 22 points (67-45) with 7:54 remaining in regulation before rallying for a 92-86 home overtime victory against Oklahoma on Feb. 27, 2013.
- Texas claimed a half-point in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown by virtue of today's victory. The Longhorns now hold a 5.0-1.0 lead in this year's standings.
- The Longhorns converted 14-of-17 (.824) from the free throw line, while Texas A&M hit just 3-of-8 from the free throw line. Texas allowed opponent team season lows in free throws made (3) and attempted (8).
- UT tied its team season high in blocked shots (9).
- The Longhorns recorded 16 assists (on 24 field goals made) against just eight turnovers on the afternoon.
- Texas posted a 45-26 scoring margin in the second half. The Longhorns converted 50-percent (13-26) from the floor, including a 5-of-11 (.455) mark from three-point range, and 14-of-16 (.875) free throws in the final 20 minutes. Texas limited Texas A&M to 26 points on 34.5-percent (10-29) shooting from the floor in the second half.
- Set his career high in scoring (30 points), previous: 29 vs. Ohio State (Nov. 4)
- Set his career high in free throws made (10-10), previous: 7, twice
- Tied his career high in assists (4) and committed just one turnover in 37 minutes
- Tied his career high in blocked shots (2)
- Reached the 30-point mark for the first time in his career (18 games)
- Topped the 20-point mark for the sixth time in his career
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 17th time in his career
- Did not play (left knee)
- Made his first start of the season and 63rd of his career
- Recorded a team-best plus-minus total of plus-9 in a season-high 23 minutes
- Registered a game-high six assists without a turnover in 24 minutes
- Hit the game-winning basket with 3.7 seconds left in regulation on a left-handed floater off the backboard from just outside the lane
- Reached double figures in scoring (11 points) for the ninth time this year (16 games) and 67th time in his career (123)
- Set his season high in blocked shots (2), just one shy of his collegiate career high
- Posted two blocked shots in 33 minutes
- Has recorded multiple blocked shots in 13 of his first 20 contests this season
