The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
7-3,0-0SEC
Southern
4-5,0-0SWAC
Men's Basketball runs past Southern, 95-69
12.08.2025 | Men's Basketball
Vokietaitis records career-high 28 points and ties program record for most free throws made (14-14) without a miss in a single game.
AUSTIN, Texas — Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis registered a career-high 28 points to pace Texas (7-3) to a 95-69 victory over Southern (4-5) on Monday night in Moody Center. Vokietaitis tied a UT program record for most free throws made without a miss in a single game by going a perfect 14-of-14 from the line.
Vokietaitis paced five Longhorns in double-figure scoring and converted 7-of-10 field goals in addition to his 14-of-14 effort from the free throw line while adding six rebounds and one block in 25 minutes. Senior Jordan Pope posted 18 points (7-9 FG, 4-6 threes) in 28 minutes, and junior Simeon Wilcher tallied a season-high 14 points (3-6 FG, career-best 8-8 FT) and two assists in 22 minutes. Junior Camden Heide recorded 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-5 threes) and three rebounds in 23 minutes, while junior Dailyn Swain added 10 points (4-5 FG, 1-1 threes), six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 29 minutes.
The Longhorns set team season highs in free throws made (29-32) and free throw percentage (.906). Texas converted 56.9-percent (29-51) from the floor, including a 40-percent (8-20) mark from three-point range, and claimed a 37-27 advantage on the glass.
Texas, which led from start-to-finish for the fourth time in its first 10 contests this season, jumped out to a 6-0 lead following a Vokietaitis three-point play at the 17:05 mark. Southern responded with a 5-0 spurt to pull to within 6-5 after a Cam Amboree three-point play with 16:22 left. A Malek Abdelgowad three-pointer trimmed the margin to 11-10 at the 15:32 mark, before the Longhorns used a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to build an 18-10 advantage following a Heide three-pointer with 13:48 remaining.
The Jaguars cut the gap to 22-15 after a Terrance Dixon Jr. free throw at the 11:06 mark, before Texas answered with a 9-0 spurt over the next three-and-a-half minutes to increase its cushion to 31-15 following a Vokietaitis dunk with 7:21 left. A Michael Jacobs jumper trimmed the margin to 35-24 at the 3:57 mark, before the Longhorns closed the half on an 11-3 run to take a 46-27 lead into the break. Texas converted 55.6-percent (15-27) from the floor, including 5-of-11 (.455) from three-point range, and hit 11-of-12 (.917) free throws in the opening 20 minutes.
Southern opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers from Brandon Hardy to cut the deficit to 46-33 at the 19:22 mark, before the Longhorns responded with a 15-2 spurt over the next five minutes to build a 61-35 advantage after a Tramon Mark jumper with 14:28 left. The margin stayed above 23 points for the remainder of the contest, and Texas increased its lead to as much as 31 points (95-64) following a Pope three-pointer with 2:50 remaining.
Texas returns to the court when it travels to face No. 5/5 UConn on Friday, Dec. 12. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. Central (8 p.m. Eastern) in PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, and the game will be televised nationally by FOX.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
Texas 95, Southern 69
December 8, 2025
Moody Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 10,410
Team Notes
- This marked just the second meeting in men's basketball between Texas and Southern and first since the 2005-06 season opener.
- The Longhorns improved to 5-1 this year and 46-13 all-time in contests played in Moody Center.
- Texas moved to 3-0 this season in contests after a loss. In those three games, the Longhorns have posted an average scoring margin of +34.7 ppg.
- UT set team season highs in free throws made (29) and free throw percentage (.906).
- The Longhorns have topped the 90-point mark in four of their first six home games this season.
- Texas posted a +10 rebound margin (37-27) and has now out-rebounded each of its first 10 opponents this year.
- The Longhorns led from start-to-finish for the fourth time this season.
- Texas converted 56.9-percent (29-51) from the floor, including a 40-percent mark (8-20) from three-point range, and hit 29-of-32 (.906) from the free throw line.
- Five different Longhorns reached double figures in scoring during the victory.
- UT posted 17 assists on 29 made field goals on the night.
- The Longhorns converted 55.6-percent (15-27) from the floor, including a 45.5-percent (5-11) mark from three-point range, and hit 11-of-12 (.917) free throws in the opening 20 minutes while building a 46-27 halftime cushion.
- Texas limited Southern to 27 points on 30.0-percent (9-30) from the field in the first half.
- UT registered 12 assists on 15 made field goals in the first half.
- Reached double figures in scoring (11 points) for the third time this year (9 games) and 10th time in his career (84 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (18 points) for the eighth time this year (10 games) and 79th time in his career (109 games)
- Posted a team-best plus-minus total of plus-31 in 28 minutes
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the 10th time this year (10 games) and 35th time in his career (73 games)
- Led the team in assists (5) and steals (2) and tied for the team lead in rebounds (6)
- Made his first start of the season (10 games) and 68th of his career (97 games)
- Set his career high in scoring (28 points), previous: 21, twice
- Set his career high in free throws made (14-14), previous: 9 vs. Duke (Nov. 4)
- His 14 free throws made WITHOUT a miss tied the UT program record for most free throws made in a single game (Sheldon McClellan went 14-14 from the FT line vs. Fresno State on Nov. 9, 2012)
- Topped the 20-point mark for the second time this season (10 games) and fourth time in his career (44 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the ninth time this year and 27th time in his career
- Reached double figures in scoring (season-high 14 points) for the fifth time this year (10 games) and 19th time in his career (74 games)
- Set his career high in free throws made (8-8), previous: 5
