Texas advances to Maui Invitational championship with win over Indiana

Texas’ quarterfinal matchup in the Maui Invitational against Indiana was an offensive struggle. UT’s led wire to wire in the 66-44 win.

Texas’ quarterfinal matchup in the Camping World Maui Invitational against Indiana was an offensive struggle for both teams. The Longhorns led wire to wire in the 66-44 win.

Going into the game, containing preseason forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Jackson was going to be key for Texas. In Indiana’s first-round matchup against Providence, the two combined for 34 points.

On Tuesday, it was too little too late until Jackson-Davis got going. He finished with 17 points, seven of which came in the final six minutes. Jackson was not any help for Indiana either, scoring four points on 1-4 shooting.

As a whole, the Hoosiers’ 44 points were the program’s lowest total since Jan. 2014 against Northwestern. As it has been for a couple of seasons, the Hoosiers struggled from three-point range. Only attempting 10 from deep, two went in.

On the offensive end, Matt Coleman was once again the guy. He shot the ball efficiently, going 6-11, including two three-pointers. He led the team with 16 points and is now averaging 14.3 points per game.

Texas did not shoot the ball well as a team, shooting 38.6% from the field. 15 turnovers are never a positive, even in a win. While Indiana will go down as a Quadrant One victory based on their KenPom ranking, the Longhorns will need to be better offensively in the championship game.

Player of the game – Brock Cunningham

Talk about a player who can do a little bit of it all. Cunningham’s final slash line of 6 points/4 assists/11 rebounds is solid, especially when you add in the three steals. He was all over the court tonight both on the glass and guarding Indiana on the defensive end.

Cunningham is not the Longhorns’ go-to offensive threat. However, the versatility on defense, on the boards, and from behind the three-point line when left open, is incredibly valuable. It showed against the Hoosiers as the Longhorns move onto the championship game.

Highlights

Next up – North Carolina/Stanford at 3 p.m. on ESPN

Texas will be moving onto the championship game against either North Carolina or Stanford. The two teams tipped off just after the Longhorns got their victory over Indiana. No matter who advances alongside Texas, it will be a battle.

For North Carolina, it is about their excellent frontcourt led by Garrison Brooks. Roy Williams’ squad is once again a favorite in the ACC after a down year. Looking at Stanford, true freshman Zaire Williams is the real deal. The former five-star is listed at 6-8 and is incredibly athletic and a gifted offensive player.

[listicle id=28213]