Texas is moving on to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008. The Longhorns held off a late Penn State surge to win 71-66 behind a career-high 28-points from Dylan Disu.
Texas used a different formula for success compared to its first round victory. With the three-point ball not falling for the Longhorns, the game plan quickly turned to utilizing its advantage in the paint.
It was an all-time performance for Disu, who cemented his name in Texas record books. His 14 field goals passed Kevin Durant’s school record for most in an NCAA Tournament game.
Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice added double-digit scoring efforts despite struggling to shoot the basketball. The guards did play clean basketball, only turning the ball over five times in the game.
After taking control with an 11-point lead early in the second half, the Nittany Lions started to get a hot hand. Penn State stormed all the way back to take a three-point lead with just over four minutes left.
Texas kept the poise of an experienced bunch and did not blink. The Longhorns answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away down the final stretch.
Up next for Texas is a Sweet 16 matchup between the winner of No. 3 seed Xavier vs. No. 11 seed Pitt.
HORNS WIN! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/yCJQr9dEYe
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 19, 2023
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