Max Abmas scored 17 points and Dillon Mitchell added 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds as No. 19 Texas shrugged off some doldrums and beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 71-55 on Friday afternoon in Austin, Texas.
Texas (9-2) led for all but the opening minutes and took an 11-point advantage into halftime. The Islanders got to within eight points early in the second half before things got a little chippy between the teams, a situation that played into A&M-CC’s hands, but not enough to make a real difference.
It didn’t take long for Texas to build its lead to 15 points on a jumper by Abmas with 12:07 to play. A&M-CC roared back to pull to within 54-49 five minutes later but would get no closer. The teams traded baskets until Texas created some separation as Dylan Disu hit two jumpers and a layup before Abmas converted a three-point play with 2:11 left.
Disu and Tyrese Hunter scored 11 points each for the Longhorns, while Brock Cunningham had a season-high 10.
Ten players saw at least 10 minutes of court time for the Islanders (6-6) and all scored at least two points. Dian Wright-Forde led the way with 10 and was the only A&M-CC player in double figures.
The Longhorns jumped to a 13-6 lead six minutes into the game via a 6-0 run capped by a layup by Mitchell. A&M-Corpus Christi rallied to tie it at 13 as Tedrick Washington canned a 3-pointer and Shilo Jackson and Garry Clark had back-to-back buckets, the latter at the 12:09 mark of the first half.
Texas slowly rebuilt its advantage, pushing it to eight points on Cunningham’s 3-pointer with 8:53 to play in the half. After a jumper by Jackson, the Longhorns scored eight of the ensuing 10 points – with Mitchell hitting four free throws in that stretch – to give them a 31-19 edge with 5:11 remaining in the half.
The teams traded baskets in the closing minutes of the half, with Chendall Weaver’s jumper with 28 seconds left granting Texas a 35-24 lead at the break.
Mitchell’s eight points led all scorers before halftime while Hunter and Cunningham added seven for the Longhorns. No A&M-CC player scored more than five points in the half.
– Field Level Media
