Texas basketball upsets No. 15 Kentucky in home game thriller

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Texas Basketball secured a crucial victory Saturday night, rallying past No. 15 Kentucky in a thrilling 82-78 win at the Moody Center. The Longhorns (16-10, 5-8 SEC) snapped a three-game SEC losing streak and bolstered their postseason chances with a resilient performance in front of a sellout crowd. Freshman Tre Johnson delivered a career-high 32 points, while graduate guard Tramon Mark added a season-best 26 points to lead Texas to its third win over an AP Top 25 opponent this season. The Longhorns previously defeated No. 22 Missouri and No. 13 Texas A&M.

Johnson shot 11-of-26 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line while adding a career-best nine rebounds (five offensive) and three assists in 36 minutes. Mark connected on 9-of-14 attempts, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and contributed two assists, two steals, and two blocked shots in 33 minutes.

Texas took an early lead after a Johnson dunk made it 30-26 with 5:33 left in the first half. Kentucky responded with an 11-2 run, surging ahead 37-32 after an Oweh layup at the 2:26 mark. The Longhorns answered with five straight points to tie it at 37-37 before the Wildcats closed the half on a 4-0 run to take a 41-37 advantage into the break.

Kentucky extended its lead to 48-41 early in the second half, but Texas fought back with a 13-3 run, reclaiming a 54-51 lead after a Mark three-point play with 12:39 remaining. The Wildcats responded once again, using a 10-2 run to take a 65-60 lead with 5:43 left. An Amari Williams put-back gave Kentucky a 69-64 edge at the 3:51 mark, but Texas sealed the win with a decisive 14-1 run over the next three minutes, taking a commanding 78-70 lead after two Johnson free throws with 34 seconds remaining.

The win comes just days after head coach Rodney Terry was asked about the Longhorns’ NCAA Tournament prospects following a loss to Alabama. “We play an NCAA Tournament team every night, so you just keep your head down, you keep staying the course and keep working,”…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-basketball-upsets-no-15-204233846.html

Author : Longhorns Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-16 20:42:00

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