Abmas leads No. 20 Texas past UT Arlington 79-62, passes Redick on the NCAA career scoring list

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This article was published 01/01/2024 (994 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Max Abmas had 18 points and seven assists, Kadin Shedrick scored 17 and No. 20 Texas defeated UT Arlington 79-62 on Monday.

Abmas, a senior who transferred to Texas from Oral Roberts this season, passed former Duke All-American J.J. Redick for 21st place on the NCAA career scoring list with 2,785 points.

Kade Douglas led UT Arlington (6-7) with 17 points, including five 3-point baskets. Makaih Williams scored 12, and Phillip Russell added 11.

Tyrese Hunter missed the game for Texas (11-2) with a fever. Hunter had perhaps his best game of the season against UNC Greensboro on Friday, with 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists against one turnover.

Ithiel Horton replaced Hunter in Texas’ starting lineup and took advantage, with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double.

Horton played 36 minutes, 16 more than his average, hitting 3 of 7 3-pointers. He went 2 for 13 from behind the arc in his previous five games.

“I thought I was that guy that would just come in off the bench and be a gunner, but sometimes I gotta play longer just to establish a rhythm, and that’s all right,” Horton said. “When I get my opportunities, I’m gonna step in and show what I could do.”

Brock Cunningham matched his career best with 11 rebounds for Texas and had a career-high three blocks. Shedrick had seven rebounds.

Twelve of the Mavericks’ 23 baskets were 3-pointers. They attempted 27.

UT Arlington, which shot 3-pointers with 32.5% accuracy before Monday, hit 7 of 14 in the first half to keep the game close. Douglas made three of them. UT Arlington trailed 39-32 at the break.

“We can’t fall asleep on defense and lose the shooters and give up open 3s,” Shedrick said. “I felt like we were there on a few of the 3s and they still made them.”

The Mavericks made two more 3s to start the second half, but Texas responded with a 10-0 push for an 11-point lead.

“I felt like we played a really good first half,” UT Arlington coach KT Turner said. “The second half they came out and punched us in the mouth. They turned the defensive pressure up. We didn’t respond.”

BIG PICTURE

UT Arlington: Newcomer Russell could provide an offensive spark as the the Mavs begin Western Athletic Conference play. Russell has been eligible for four games since transferring from Southwest Missouri. He averaged 18 points there last season, making 82 3-pointers. Russell averages 16 a game for UT Arlington so far.

Texas: How good are the Longhorns? Is Texas a contender in the Big 12? Hard to tell. It begins Big 12 competition without a marquee win. Texas faced two AP Top 25 teams, losing handily to UConn in New York and at Marquette. The Longhorns beat Power Five teams LSU and Louisville. Texas faced UConn and Marquette without 6-foot-9 Dylan Disu, who has appeared in four games since returning from offseason foot surgery, averaging 11.5 points a game.

TALBOT STILL OUT

UT Arlington reserve Brandyn Talbot missed his third straight game with a concussion. Talbot averages seven points a game and has made 16 3-point baskets.

UP NEXT

UT Arlington: Plays at Tarleton State Thursday in the Western Athletic Conference opener.

Texas: Hosts Texas Tech Saturday in the Big 12 opener.

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