Dominating Victory: Men’s Basketball Crushes Northwestern State 77-53!

AUSTIN, Texas — Freshman guard Tre Johnson scored a team-leading 18 points, propelling Texas (11-2) to a 77-53 triumph over Northwestern State (5-7) on Sunday afternoon at Moody Center. The Longhorns maintained their lead from start to finish for the fourth consecutive game and the seventh instance in their first 13 matchups of the season.

Johnson, absent in the previous two games due to a right hip injury, converted 7-of-11 shots, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, matched a season-high with four assists, and added four rebounds over 22 minutes. Junior Jordan Pope netted 11 points (3-8 threes) in 28 minutes, while senior Arthur Kaluma secured a game-high 13 rebounds alongside five points and two blocked shots in 24 minutes.

Graduate Jayson Kent, who missed the prior eight games due to a right wrist injury, made his return and notched nine points (3-4 FG, 1-2 threes, 2-2 FT) in 18 minutes. With his free throw at the 5:31 mark of the second half, Kent achieved the 1,000-point milestone in his collegiate career, now totaling 1,004 points across 129 career games. Kent is the fifth current Longhorn to surpass the 1,000-point mark, joining Kaluma, Tramon Mark, Pope, and Julian Larry.

On the day, Texas shot 50.0-percent (27-54) from the field, including a 44.0-percent performance (11-25) from three-point territory, and sank 12 of 15 (.800) free throws. The Longhorns restricted Northwestern State to just 53 points on 38.2-percent (21-55) shooting from the field, with a 17.6-percent rate (3-17) from three-point range. Texas also achieved a plus-16 (42-26) rebounding advantage in their victory.

Texas surged to an 8-0 lead after a Mark three-pointer at the 16:45 mark. Following a Kaluma layup that established a 10-3 lead with 15:17 remaining, the Demons answered with a 6-0 run over the next three minutes, narrowing the gap to 10-9 with an Addison Patterson layup at the 12:43 mark. After another Patterson layup brought the score to 12-11 with 10:15 left, Texas retorted with five consecutive points, increasing their lead to 17-11 following a Johnson jumper at the 8:33 mark.

A Jerald Colonel jumper reduced the margin to 21-15 with 6:21 remaining, but the Longhorns responded with a 9-0 surge over the next two-plus minutes, extending their lead to 30-15 after another Johnson jumper at 4:02. A Jon Sanders free throw lessened the deficit to 32-18 with 2:48 left, as Texas wrapped up the half with a 9-4 run, taking a 41-22 lead at halftime.

The Longhorns opened the second half by scoring the first eight points, taking a 49-22 lead following a Kaluma three-pointer at 15:50. Texas amplified their lead to 30 points (56-26) after a Chendall Weaver slam dunk with 13:50 left. The Demons could not draw closer than 21 points for the rest of the game.

Texas will return to the court to commence Southeastern Conference play at No. 13/13 Texas A&M on Saturday, Jan. 4. The game is set to start at 7 p.m. Central at Reed Arena and will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network.

 

Texas Basketball Postgame Notes

Texas 77, Northwestern State 53

December 29, 2024

Moody Center (Austin, Texas)

Attendance: 10,565

Team Notes

• Texas improved to 8-1 at home this season and holds a 38-6 all-time record in games played at Moody Center.
• UT led from beginning to end for the fourth consecutive game and the seventh time in their first 13 matchups this season.

• The Longhorns shot 50.0-percent (27-54) from the field, including a 44.0-percent performance (11-25) from beyond the arc. This was the eighth occasion in the first 13 games that Texas shot at least 50-percent from the floor.
• Texas had a +16 (42-26) rebounding advantage during this victory.
• The Longhorns limited Northwestern State to 53 points with a shooting rate of 38.2-percent (21-55) from the field, and a three-point mark of 17.6-percent (3-17) for the day.
• Six UT players scored seven points or more in this win.
• Texas converted 62.5-percent (15-24) from the floor, including 50-percent (6-12) from three-point range, and hit a flawless 5-of-5 free throws in the first half while creating a 41-22 halftime lead.
• The Longhorns restricted the Demons to 22 points on 30-percent (9-30) shooting from the field, with a 1-of-10 (.100) record from beyond the arc in the first half.
• All nine Texas players who participated in the first half scored and made at least one field goal.

Tre Johnson

• Achieved double figures in scoring (team-high 18 points) for the 10th time in his career (11 games)
• Matched his season high in assists (4)
• Participated in his first game since Dec. 12 against New Mexico State (was sidelined in the previous two games due to a right hip injury)

Arthur Kaluma

• Reached double digits in rebounds (13) for the fifth time this season (13 games) and 14th time in his career (114 games)

Jayson Kent

• With his successful free throw at the 5:31 mark of the second half, he hit the 1,000-point milestone in his collegiate career
• Has accumulated 1,004 points over 129 career contests
• Made his first appearance in a game since Nov. 16 against Mississippi Valley State (had missed the previous eight games due to a right wrist injury)

Jordan Pope

• Reached double figures in scoring (11 points) for the seventh time this season (13 games) and 61st time in his career (77 games)

Kadin Shedrick

• Recorded two blocks in 24 minutes
• Has achieved multiple blocks in 10 of his first 13 games this season
• Posted the team’s best plus-minus total of plus-24 during the game