Texas MBB still have right stuff in critical win over No. 9 Baylor

AUSTIN, Texas – The game down to the last 0:22 seconds. There were three key plays that gave way to Tyrese Hunter scoring a layup at the buzzer that gave Texas the victory over No. 9 Baylor 75-73.

Tyrese Hunter scored a team high 21 points on the night followed by Dylan Disu with 19 points and one assist. Disu’s one assist was to Hunter, a pass with 4.8 seconds on the clock after Hunter inbounded the ball to Disu just after Baylor’s Jalen Bridges tied the score with a three-point bucket.

Hunter inbounded the ball to Disu who tossed it back to a sprinting Hunter.

Hunter, a 6′ guard, drove the ball down the center of the court directly to the basket, gets picked up at the top of the key by 6’5″ #13 Langston Love who tracked Hunter all the way to the basket and leaped to block Hunter’s shot, but maneuvered to avoid Love and scored.

The buzzer sounded, Craig Way went hysterical on the radio (a must listen), the entire crowd jumped and roared. Some of those fans in the crowd were high school students invited by coach Sarkisian as part of their visit to Texas.

Texas returned to their style of basketball they are known for, what they were ranked in the Top 25 for, and what got them to the Elite Eight last season.The game was about even if you look at the stats, however there was one stat that tells a great story.

Both Texas and Baylor controlled their boards. Texas with 24 total rebounds, Baylor with 26. For offensive rebounds Texas had one more that Baylor 9-8. The last offensive rebound was attributed to Max Abmas, though Abmas was past the top of the key, closer to the half-court line actually. 

The ESPN announcers called it, “Game winning play,” and “Maybe the play of the game.”

There was 0:50 seconds left in the game. Coach Terry subs in Dylan Disu who had been sub’d in/out what seemed like every minute on the minute since he had four personal fouls and Texas needed Disu for the boards, plus his scoring.

Disu subs in and Baylor’s Ja’kobe Walter is at the free throw line and makes his second shot to put Baylor up by one point. Texas ball, Disu gets the ball with 0:25 seconds left on the clock, shoots and misses a jumper. 

The ball bounced off the rim and landed inside the paint where Chendall Weaver leaped for the ball barely getting the top of his fingers on the ball, enough to push the ball back out to Abmas. Now, there is 0:14 seconds on the clock.

Abmas had the ball, Baylor needs to stop the clock and has to foul Abmas. who hits 89.6% of his free throws. Abmas sank both free throws to put Texas up by three and Texas called a 30 second timeout.

Baylor ins the ball, brings it down and Jalen Bridges gets the ball, turns then shoots from way outside and hits a three-pointer to tie the score. Tryese Hunter lets the ball roll before picking it up so that Texas Disu and Abmas could get set for the inbound pass.

Hunter to Disu, Disu back to Hunter. TEXAS WINS!

“Ok, great Big 12 Basketball today at the highest level,” Rodney Terry said after the game.

Tyrese Hunter said in the post game, “We had to come and bounce back, get back to ourselves, finishing out games. That started in practice just challenging each other and just coming out here today, believing in each other and trying to get the win.”

Chandell said after the game, “As long as we win, I’m a team player. I’m going to put my all.”

Stats

Texas scored 52% of the time from the field (27-52), hit three-pointers 47% of the time (9-19), and 71% of the free throws (12-17). Max Abmas hit the final two free throws that were critical to the win.

Texas has just seven turnovers, 24 total rebounds, 12 second chance points, 28 points in the paint, and 13 fast break points.

Max Abmas scored 15 points and now ranks #16 in all-time scoring leaders in college D1 men’s basketball and needs just six points to move past Elvin Hayes from Houston. Abmas holds the No. 2 spot for 3-points field goals made with 477.

Kadin Shedrick scored 10 points, Dillion Mitchell drop six points along with six rebounds. Chendeall Weaver scored two points and had three rebounds.

Next up for Texas is Oklahoma in Norman, OK on Jan 23 (Tue) at 6 p.m.. The game will be aired on ESPN. Texas’ record is 13-5 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 Conference play.