Texas’ perfect record remained intact after a 78-76 win over Davidson in the first round of the Maui Invitational. The Wildcats had two opportunities to hit game-winning shots with under five seconds but forward Sam Mennenga miss both.
Courtney Ramey played the hero role for the Longhorns, finding a way to the basketball to hit the game-winning layup with 0:19 left. He finished the game as the leading scorer, having 14 points on 4-11 shooting.
Defensively, Texas struggled with Davidson’s size early in the game. Mennenga was efficient all game, shooting 60%, including 4-4 from inside the three-point line.
Once Shaka Smart when towards a bigger lineup, including Kai Jones and Brock Cunningham, the defense got better. The Longhorns were also able to crash the offensive glass, securing 13 rebounds off their missed shots.
The most encouraging statistic from the win over Davidson is Texas’ 18 assists. Last season, the Longhorns ranked last in the Big 12 in assists per game, averaging 9.9. On Monday afternoon, Matt Coleman was excellent at distributing the ball, having nine assists.
Player of the game – Kai Jones
His final slash line of 13/1/2 may not raise any eyebrows but it was more about what will not show up on the stat sheet. Jones was able to bring a big presence on the defensive end, contesting Davidson shots better.
Looking back to the stats, and Jones did not miss a shot all afternoon. He went two for two from deep and rocked the rim a couple of times as well. An athletic 6-11 forward who has range is always a plus to have.
Highlights
Finishing strong in transition. Game on ESPN2.@DrewdotCash | #MauiHoops pic.twitter.com/n5NUSioc7e
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) November 30, 2020
Kai Jones got UP for this put-back.
He has such a good feel around the rim. pic.twitter.com/wynC3GArzs
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) November 30, 2020
Next up – Indiana/Providence at 12:30 pm
CST on ESPN
Indiana and Providence tipped off shortly after Texas got their win. Both the Hoosiers, out of the Big Ten, and the Friars, out of the Big East, will be excellent early season tests for the Longhorns in the second round.
Either way, the game will take play at 12:30 pm CST on ESPN. Hopefully, there will be more quality time spent with Bill Walton.
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