No. 16 Longhorns Overcome Slow Start At Home to Beat Alabama State 68-48
The No. 16 Texas Longhorns (9-2) played their eighth home game of the season on Wednesday afternoon, as the burnt orange fought through a sloppy start to pull out a 68-48 victory over the Alabama State Hornets.
The Longhorns were tested early on in the contest against a gritty Alabama State team (1-10) that came into the Erwin Center as a clear underdog. The Hornets were led by former Longhorn Gerald Liddell, who made his return to Austin in this game.
Liddell played in 34 career games at Texas for three seasons (2018-2021) under former head coach Shaka Smart before announcing his intent to transfer midway through last season.
During his time on the Forty Acres, Liddell averaged 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing 12.9 minutes per game.
These stats were a thing of the past against his former team though, as Liddell led the early charge against Beard's defense. The Hornets jumped out to a quick 16-4 lead as Texas mustered just two baskets through nearly eight minutes of play.
Despite sloppy turnovers and a lid on the rim, Longhorns' forward Dylan Disu helped swing momentum midway through the first half with a vicious dunk over two Alabama State defenders.
Texas didn't secure its first lead of the game until about a minute remaining in the first half, as another Disu bucket gave the Horns a 27-25 edge.
It was 29-25 in favor of Texas headed into the locker room.
But like most of the homes game so far this season, the Longhorns pulled away in the second half against an opponent that just couldn't keep up.
Disu shouldered the scoring load in the first 20 minutes, but it was a much more balanced team effort in the final frame.
Behind two Marcus Carr three-pointers, the Longhorns used a 10-0 run to complete the race despite the applied pressure from Liddell and Co.
The Longhorns outscored the Hornets 39-23 in the second half as Andrew Jones and Timmy Allen began to chip into the lead as well. Despite trailing by 12 at one point, Texas managed to build a 21-point lead down the final stretch.
Liddell was the leading scorer for Alabama State with 16 points, while Disu was Texas' top man with 14 points and four rebounds off the bench.
The Longhorns will finish up non-conference play this Tuesday at home against Incarnate Word before beginning Big-12 play at home on New Year's Day against West Virginia.
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