The Horns notched the biggest win of the Sean Miller era.
Senior guard Jordan Pope broke out of a conference mini-slump with a game-high 28 points in Saturday’s extended but thrilling 92-88 upset of the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide by the Texas Longhorns in Tuscaloosa for the first conference win under first-year head coach Sean Miller.
After scoring nine points in the loss to Mississippi State and going scoreless in 13 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Tennessee, Pope was sensational against Alabama, taking advantage of poor pick-and-roll defense to hit 6-of-13 three-point attempts in addition to getting to the line to connect on all six of his free-throw attempts. Four of those free throws came in the final 11 seconds to secure the win after dealing with foul trouble in the second half.
“Obviously, Jordan Pope had a really big night tonight, and in a couple of our best moments this season, Jordan has really been on top, so it was great to see him, as a senior, rise to the challenge and have a big night,” Miller said.
Pope’s calm execution at the free-throw line helped the Longhorns avoid blowing a 13-point lead with 11:27 remaining. A 7-0 run by Alabama helped narrow the deficit and eventually tie the game at 74-74, but Texas did enough to take advantage of its opportunities at the free-throw line in scoring 14 of the team’s final 18 points at the charity stripe despite going 13-of-22 from the line in the second half.
“I thought we got to the foul line in the second half and when we really needed a couple baskets, we were able to get them,” Miller said.
Those baskets included a driving layup by junior wing Dailyn Swain to take a five-point lead with 2:08 remaining and a fast-break layup by graduate guard Tramon Mark after a defensive rebound.
In an indication of the team’s improved effort, the Horns won the offensive rebounding battle 18-13 and turned that into a 20-12 edge in second-chance points, one of the key areas where Texas was able to secure enough separation to win.
“We knew we were in for a great challenge and I’m just really proud of our team,” Miller said. “We were able to come in here, in an amazing atmosphere and crowd, and for us to leave with the win, I think it gives us a real shot of confidence and an understanding of how hard you have to compete to have a chance to win in the SEC. Tonight, we competed at a higher level than we have recently.”
At 2:48, the game was extended by frequent reviews and 45 combined fouls that produced 59 combined free throws, but the Longhorns surely aren’t complaining about the biggest win of the nascent Sean Miller era that came in the wake of two putrid performances to open SEC play that produced post-game diatribes from the program’s new head coach.
The threatened lineup changes didn’t happen, as Pope, Swain, and sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis started once again despite getting benched in the second half of the loss to the Volunteers. Pope’s response was evident, and Swain recovered his form in scoring 18 points with eight rebounds and two blocks while Vokietaitis served as an effective post presence who helped Texas get to the free-throw line in the second half. Mark added 18 points.
Texas returns to the Moody Center on Wednesday, hosting No. 11 Vanderbilt at 8 p.m. Central.
Category: General Sports
