Five Longhorns score in double figures, men’s basketball routs Grand Canyon

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — Guards Elijah Mitrou-Long and Jase Febres each scored a team-high 16 points and Kerwin Roach, II, added 15 to lead the Texas men’s basketball team to a 98-60 victory over Grand Canyon Saturday at the Frank Erwin Center.

Dylan Osetkowski and Courtney Ramey each scored 10 points for the Longhorns, who played 13 players — nine UT players scored at least six points — and improved their season record to 7-3, while Grand Canyon slipped to 5-5.

UT’s 98 points established a new season high, as did the Longhorns’ 37 made field goals, 16 made three-point field goals, 58.7 field goal percentage, 53.3 percent three-point field goal percentage and 22 assists. The team’s 16 three-pointers tied the second-highest total in team history, and were the most since the ’Horns hit the same number from long range Nov. 23, 2007 against New Mexico.

Mitrou-Long’s 16 points established a new career high since he arrived in Austin. He connected on six of sight field goals, including three three-pointers in as many attempts from behind the arc. Febres also set a new season high with his 16 points, leaving him just two short of the career-high 18 he scored Jan. 6 at Baylor. Febres hit four of 10 three-point field goals Saturday.

While Mitrou-Long, Febres and Roach were raising the bar on the offensive end, Ramey was helping them reach those totals, handing out a career-high eight assists. Texas posted an assists-to-turnovers ration of 22 to 11, and outrebounded their guests by 17.

The Longhorns took advantage of opportunities created by their defense, outscoring Grand Canyon, 18-0, on points off turnovers.

Texas will be back in action Friday when it hosts Providence at 8 p.m. (Central Time) in a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.