Xavier Musketeers 71 vs 83 Texas Longhorns summary: stats and highlights | NCAA Sweet 16
The Texas Longhorns are heading to the Elite 8 for the first time in 15 years after strolling past the Xavier Musketeers on Friday night. Tyrese Hunter led five Longhorns players in double digits, scoring 19 points in the 83-71 victory in Kansas City.
Coach Terry has Texas knocking on door
It’s been a long and winding road for the Longhorns this season. They started off the campaign slow from the get go, and then saw their coach dismissed after a domestic violence incident in December. Since then Rodney Terry has taken over and taken this team where they haven’t been in over a decade.
Texas jumped out to a quick lead thanks to a hot start from their leading scorer, Marcus Carr who had 8 points in the first 8 minutes of the game. The Longhorns saw Dylan Disu have to exit the game after testing out his injured ankle in the first minutes of the night, but Coach Terry’s team didn’t let that affect them the rest of the way.
Xavier was one of the top scoring offenses in the league, but the Longhorns defense shut them down and frusterated them all night. They opened the game 1/12 from the field, but it wasn’t just the Texas defense. The Musketeers were missing opening looks around the basket, and in the first half they missed 14 shots in the paint.
Texas defense locked down Xavier
Among the many who struggled in blue and white was Xavier top scorer Souley Boum, who had just two points thought the first 20 minutes of play. He finished the game with 12, but by the time he turned on it was already too late.
The lead jumped out to double digits with six minutes in the first half and the Longhorns never looked back. Five different Texas players were in double digits at the end of the game including Sir’Jabari Rice and Christian Bishop who combined for 34 points off the bench.
Miami up next
Xavier’s tough night from the floor continued in the second half as the Longhorns kept their double digit cushion until the clock hit 0:00.
The Texas Longhorns are back in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2008, and are now the highest seed left in the tournament after seeing Houston and Alabama go down on Friday night. They will take on the Miami on Sunday evening from Kansas City for a chance to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.
Texas held off any sort of comeback bid from the Musketeers and cruised into their first Elite 8 since 2008. They are now the top ranked team remaining in the tournament after all four one seeds have been eliminated.
Tyrese Hunter had 12 quick points in the second half to make sure that Xavier didn't claw their way back into the game. He ended the game with 19 to lead the Longhorns.
Xavier cut the lead to 11 shortly before the halftime break, but this buzzer beater from Timmy Allen helped stretch the lead to 17 going into the break.
Texas' defense was incredible all night. They threw Xavier, one of the top scoring teams in the country, off their game and got some help with some missed high percentage shots by the Musketeers.
It was all going right for Texas on Friday night, and when you see this circus shot like the one Carr dropped with the shot clock winding down. you just knew it was there night.
Marcus Carr was all the Longhorns needed to jump out to an early lead in their wire to wire win over Xavier. He had 8 points in the first 8 minutes of the game.
Rice finishes off with a lay up and that's going to do it!
The Longhorns are heading back to the Elite 8 since the first time since 2008!
Jones hits a consolation jumper, and will that be his last bucket before making the leap to the NBA?
Bishop with another lay up and he has 18 points off the bench for Texas.
Jones gets the baseline jumper from the midrange and that will take us to a timeout with 1:11 to go in the game.
Jones with a tough turn around from outside the paint, and he gets it to fall.
Kunkel with a three ball, but it's too late for Kunkel or his help. We are under 4 minutes to go in the game and the Longhorns are in complete command.
Rice drills a three ball off the Hunter kick out and the lead is back to 20!!!
Kunkel gets to the bucket again, and give him credit he has been the only one who showed up tonight for Xavier.
Bishop comes out of the timeout and gets the dump off from Rice for the jam!
Colby Jones on the drive and finds Edwards for the easy jump hook after getting the defense to move.
Timeout Xaiver with 4:46 to go in the game.
Hunter to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Boum.
Bishop with the slam after the dump off form Carr! What a game both of those two are having!
Claude follows his own miss from the FT line jumper and gets the put back to go.
Boum out of the timeout at the FT line and he hits both from the stripe.
Bishop going back at the rack and he banks it home off the lay up.
We are under 8 to go from KC and the Longhorns are in complete control.
Boum shielding off the defender on the drive and gets the scoop lay up to drop.
Nunge to the line after the foul on Carr and he misses the front end of the one and one.
Nunge spots up from downtown and finally gets a little love from long range!
Rice to the line after the foul on Kunkel and he hits one of two FTs.
Kunkel spots up from behind the arc of the assist from Jones and he is money from downtown!
Allen pulls up from the elbow and drills the jumper.
Nunge with the slip screen from the top of the key and he gets the lay up to drop.
Cunningham going to the line after the Nunge foul, and he hits one of two.
Rice took Kunkel off the dribble, and Kunkel came it with a hard foul and got called for the flagrant 1. Rice hits both FTs and Texas will get the ball back.
Allen at the line after the timeout and Allen splits the two FTs.
Hunter on the pull up in transition from the top of the key and this one might be all over!!!
Timeout with under 12 to go, but the Longhorns are up by 20!
Kick out from under the basket from Cunningham out to Carr who drains the triple try from the corner!
Boum is really coming back to life. He gets a long two to fall.
Rice has been money from the field tonight and he hits the mid range jumper.
Jones connects on the mid range jumper and they would love to see him get going. They need everyone they can get to mount this comeback.
Hunter has something to say about that! He goes to the rack and finshes with the left hand on the right side to take the wind out of the comeback sails for Xavier.
Boum might just have a little gas still in the tank!!! He drills the three ball from the corner!
Boum finally gets a field goal to drop, but is it too late? Let's see if that gets him going for the final 15 minutes of the game.
Timeout on the floor with 15:29 to go in the game.
Hunter drills the three ball to stretch the lead back out to 18!!! No way Xavier gets back in this game if they can't get stops.
Nunge slipped off the screen and got the easy lay up off the Jones assist.
Rice goes behind the back and hits the floater from the FT line.
Hunter at the line after the foul on Mitchell and he hits one of two FTs.
Hunter going back at the rack and he gets the tough lay up to go off the crystal.
Kunkel on the baseline and he stops on a dime, pulls up and hits the midrange jumper.
Hunter driving into traffic and getting the lay up to go.
Kunkel starts the second half with a three ball and that couldn't have been a better way to start for Xavier.
WE ARE BACK IN PLAY FROM KANSAS CITY!!!
Boum has just 2 points after leading the Musketeers in scoring all season. Nunge has 8 points to lead Xavier, but is just 3/11 tonight. Kunkle has stepped up with a couple deep threes but it hasn't been enough for Xavier so far.
Xavier cut the lead to 11 with inside a minute to go in the first half, but Timmy Allen drilled this half court buzzer beater to go into the break with a 17 points lead!
There weren't many highlights for the Musketeers in the first 20 minutes, but Colby Jones provided this easy lay up. That was one of the few easy buckets Xavier got all half.
Marcus Carr has been Texas' top scorer this season, and he is their top scorer in the biggest game of the season. He's got 15 after scoring a quick 8 in the first 8 minutes.
The Texas Longhorns came into the game as the highest remaining seed in the tourney, and have shown that they might be the favorites from here on out.
Their defense was stifling, and when they couldn't get stops Xavier missed shots more often then not. Sean Miller's men have made just 27.3% of their shots going 9-33 from the field.
Great defensive stand to end the first half, but before the buzzer souned Allen raced down the court and launched a prayer from half court and he sank it!!! Huge half from the Longhorns who shut down Xavier in the first 20 minutes!
Hunter with a huge three ball to silence the little run that Xavier was on! Back to a 14 point lead!
Under a minute to go in the first half, and Nunge gets the offensive board and gets the put back AND 1!!! FT is good and it's an 11 point game.
Nunge to the line after the Bishop foul and he hits one of two FTs.
Xavier went zone and Texas sliced them open after Allen bounced passed it to Bishop for the slam on the baseline.
Kunkel gets another three and he's one of the few that have shown up for Xavier.
Carr working the give and go, and he finds some space for the leaner on the left side of the lane.
We are at the under 4 timeout from KC and Texas has a chance to run away with this game in the next 3:55. Crucial part of the game for Xavier coming out of the timeout.
That was a mean step back between the legs from Carr, and he strokes the mid range effort! He's got 13 on the night already!
Alley oop from Carr who has been drawing plenty of attention and Bishop comes through with the hammer!
Timeout Xavier with 5:08 to go int the first half.
Rice getting to the iron and he gets the finger roll to fall.
Nunge backing down on the block and gets the short range effort off the glass to go.
The steal by Cunningham leads to a dunk from Rice in transition! Texas has been playing some fantastic defense tonight.
Bishop at the line after the timeout and he hits both FTs.
Jones in the lane and he drops the floater over a couple of defenders in the paint.
Timeout on the floor with 6:40 to go in the first half.
Bishop showing the strength and getting to the bucket for a lay up.
Rice at the line after the Kunkel foul and he missed both FTs.
Entry pass from Kukle to Hunter and that leads to an open slam.
CARR WITH A MIRACULOUS THREE!!! He tried to draw the foul at the top of the key, took the contact, spun around with his pivot foot on the ground still and hit the off balanced deep ball!
Kunkle with the finish in traffic and he's got the only two FGs of Xavier's night.
Streaking to the rack and getting the finger roll is Hunter!
Allen at the line after the timeout and he hits one of two.
Jones going to the rack in transition and he gets to the rack with a wide open lay up and the Longhorns take a timeout with 12:05 to go in the first half.
Kunkle from the logo after the long offensive rebound from Xavier!
Carr has 8 after the made mid range jumper and Texas is going to need their leading scorer to step up even more without Disu.
Texas' Dylan Disu has been ruled out after coming into this game with an ankle injury. He started the game, but lasted only a few minutes before heading to the bench and having his ankle put in a cast.
Carr goes to the line after the Kunkel foul and he hits both FTs. He's got six on the night.
Not much for points here early on, but it's been physical, it's been gritty and it's been fun through five minutes.
TV timeout with 14:53 to go in the first half.
Hunter with the penetration and dish down low to Bishop who went reverse on the lay up.
Boum fouled by Rice, who picks up his second, and the Xavier leading scorer goes to the line and hits both FTs for his first points of the night.
Rice sends Claude to the line and he hits one of two FTs.
Allen gets into the lane and hits the floater off the glass from the right side.
Nunge missed his first shot, but followed it up and followed with the tip in.
Carr gets his second jumper to fall from the elbow and the Longhorns are up six early on.
Allen gets into the mix from the mid range and it's Texas with the first two buckets of the night.
Carr gets us started with an opening possession jumper for the game's first points.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM KC!!!
No more one seeds left
The last one seed standing fell when the Miami Hurricanes beat the Houston Cougars in the early tip from KC. Miami will await the winner of this game in the Elite 8. Texas is the top seed remaining in the tourney after seeing all one seed knocked out.
Texas Tourney history
Texas is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 15 years. Rick Barnes had this program growing awfully accustomed to reaching the second weekend of the tournament in his stint as the coach of the Longhorns. Rodney Terry took over in December of this year, and has led his team to an incredible run as interim head coach. He has a chance to bring the Longhorns to the Elite 8 for just the eighth time in program history as Texas seeks their fourth national title, and first since 2003.
Star watch: Xavier
The Musketeers have a handful of primetime scorers at their disposal. Souley Boum has been pacing Xavier this season, posting 16.5 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in his senior year. The Oakland native has been as consistent as ever in the tournament, getting 15.5 points, 6 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game, helping him get over a one point performance in the Big East Championship. The Musketeers have been without Zach Freemantle and his 15.2 ppg since January but Colby Jones and Jack Nunge have both picked up the slack. Jones is getting 15 and 6 rebounds a night, while Nunge nets 14.1 points, 7.7 boards and gets the occasional game winning block
Star watch: Longhorns
Marcus Carr has been the big man on campus for the Longhorns this season. He has carried Texas in their season that saw them return to the Sweet 16 for the first time in a long time. He’s averaging 15.8 points and 4 assists this season, but has yet to have a big tourney game. He scored 17 in the game against Colgate, but was held to just 10 against Penn State. Dylan DIsu only averages 9.1 ppg but it seems as though he was saving the best for last after putting up 28 points last game. He has turned it on in the late stages of the season, he’s getting 18 points a game dating back to the Big 12 Championship.
The San Diego State Aztecs started the night with a huge upset over the top seed Alabama Crimson Tide and now will await the winner of Creighton and Princeton which will tip off right before Texas and Xavier start their Sweet 16 match up.
Showcasing lotto picks
There are a couple of potential Lottery Picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, but before the stars of tomorrow look to the future they have the biggest game of their lives coming up tonight. Xavier’s Colby Jones could be a top selection in the upcoming draft, and can add to his case tonight in Kansas City.
Musketeers last game
Xavier got to the Big East Championship after a season that announced their program is back on the national stage. They would end up losing to a Marquette team that was ranked 6th in the nation, but still got the three seed in the Midwest which set up a tricky first round matchup against Kennesaw State. Xavier trailed by 13 in the second half, but battled back and tied the game up with five minutes to go in the game. The game went down to the wire and KSU had a chance to take the lead with under 10 to go, but Jack Nudge came up with a game saving block as the Owls went 2/15 from the field in the final nine minutes of the game.
Texas squeaks bye Penn St.
Texas came into the Big Dance after winning their second Big 12 Championship in program history. They crushed Kansas in the conference title game in a 20 point blowout and wiped out 15 seed Colgate 81-61 after Sir’Jabari Rice put up 23 points. Things didn’t go as smoothly in the second round against Penn State. The Longhorns led for 39 of the 40 minutes, but momentarily lost the lead with five minutes to go, but and 8-0 run was enough to polish off the Nittany Lions in a game that Dylan Disy put up 38 points and 10 rebounds on 14/20 shooting to get Texas back to the Sweet 16.
We are live from KC
Hello everyone and welcome to the Show Me State, where the the Texas Longhorns are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008. It’s been a long time since thing program has been on this big of a stage, but they are one of the favorites coming out of the Midwest bracket. Xavier had a fantastic season after a four year tournament dry spell and now come in as the three seed looking to get past the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.
Xavier vs. Texas
It’s the last tip off in this edition of the Sweet 16, and we have a mouthwatering matchup from Kansas City, Missouri. The two seed in the Midwest Bracket take on the three seed as the Texas Longhorns and the Xavier Muskateers and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats highlights and analysis.