Freshman Nic Codie poured in a career-best 20 points off the bench to lead a balanced and lethal Texas attack as the Longhorns romped to a 121-57 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas.
The Longhorns (9-2) have won two straight after a loss on Dec. 8 to two-time defending champion UConn. Texas announced 30 minutes prior to tipoff that fab freshman guard Tre Johnson would miss the game with a sore right hip. Johnson is the Longhorns’ leading scorer on the season (19.9 ppg).
Even without Johnson, the game was all but over by halftime with Texas leading 66-26 at the break. It was the Longhorns’ most points in a first half since 2003.
Texas reached the 100-point mark for the second time this season on a dunk by Jamie Vinson with 7:11 to play. The Longhorns’ total output was their highest in their two-plus seasons at Moody Center.
Jordan Pope hit for a season-high 17 points while Kadin Shedrick and Chendall Weaver added 14 apiece, Arthur Kaluma scored 13, Julian Larry racked up 11 points and 13 assists and Tramon Mark and Devon Pryor finished with 10 points for Texas. The Longhorns shot 62.9 percent from the floor despite missing their final six shots.
Christian Moore led the Golden Bears (2-10) with 14 points and Dante Sawyer added 12. Arkansas-Pine Bluff gave up a season-high in points but it was the fifth time this year that an opponent has broached the 100-point barrier in beating the Golden Lions.
The Longhorns burst away from a game tied at 3-3 by forging a 10-0 run capped by a Shedrick layup at the 16:15 mark of the first half. Texas then created even more separation via a 14-2 burst over the next four minutes. Shedrick canned another short jumper to push the margin to 27-5.
Shedrick’s amazing first 10 minutes also featured a 3-pointer and then a steal and a runout dunk on consecutive possessions, with the latter expanding the Longhorns’ advantage to 40-8.
The Longhorns got 14 points from Shedrick (on 6-of-6 shooting) before halftime while Pope added 11 and Weaver scored 10. Texas shot 69.4 percent from the floor in the half and forced 10 turnovers that it converted into 19 points over the first 20 minutes of play.
–Field Level Media
