Dylan Disu's Loss Sparks Longhorns Offense En Route To Win Over Xavier

Behind a team-driven performance in the Sweet 16, the Texas Longhorns punch their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008.

© William Purnell, USA TODAY

If anyone thought that the loss of Dylan Disu would stop Texas from keeping its composure, they obviously aren't keeping up with the program's standards.

Even without the March Madness hero, the Longhorns ended their 15-year drought from making the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament with an 83-71 win over Xavier Friday night at T-Mobile Center.

And while Disu's injury will be something to monitor, it isn't a death sentence for interim coach Rodney Terry's program, who well could lose the temporary tag within the next few hours.

"In the NCAA Tournament, you've got to play start to finish," Terry said late into Friday evening. "Even if you're up 15, you're up 20, you've got to play it all the way to the end. I think over the course of my career, you learn that in terms of anything can happen in March. That's why it's the madness."

Madness occurred early for the Horns. Disu, Texas' leading man and a rising name in the March's laundry list of starts, left the game 94 seconds following tip-off and did not return. Disu was seen later on the sidelines with a boot clenched around his left foot. 

Fans feared the worst of their program's status. By the time Disu returned to the bench, the major damage was nearly done. 

"We knew we were going to try to keep these guys uncomfortable in the full court and the half court," Terry said. "Our pressure defense up the floor to try to take the ball out of Souley's hand and let someone else initiate offense was going to be big for us." 

Five different Longhorns made up for Disu's departure by totaling 10 or more points. Tyrese Hunter finished with a team-high 19 points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Christian Bishop scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards, five of which came in the first half during Texas' 13-3 run in the closing minutes of the first half. 

Sir'Jabari Rice shot 60 percent from the field and finished with 16 points. Timmy Allen posted six rebounds to match his 11 points, while Marcus Carr finished with 18 points. Even with Disu leaving before Texas found its rhythm, the Longhorns managed to shoot 43.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from deep.

"This has been a very resilient team all year long," Terry said. "We've been in this position before. When you play in that Big 12 league, you've been battle tested. It's not anything you really haven't faced all year long -- foul trouble, an injured guy. You just keep playing and keep working the game for 40 minutes." 

Terry said that Disu is day-to-day for the time being. Before the 6-9 senior can think of returning to the court, he must shed his walking boot. And while Disu could come off the bench in a limited role, Terry is looking at the big picture. 

The Final Four one. 

"The last thing you want to do is put a young man out there that's not ready to go full tilt," said Terry. 

Texas is now 40 minutes away from its first Final Four appearance since 2003. Fifth-seeded Miami, which eliminated one-seeded Houston earlier in the night, will be waiting for the Horns in a 4:05 p.m. tip-off Sunday. 

Disu, who entered Friday with a total of 45 points off 31 shots and 10 rebounds in the first two games of the tournament, tried to play through the pain of a bone bruise before being forced to leave. In most cases, losing a key scorer would mean the end of a program's chances to win. 

Texas isn't most program's and its roster can't be duplicated elsewhere. 

In a tournament that continues to break barriers and set new records, anything seems possible. One of those barriers for Texas to break? Finding a way to win Sunday and punch a ticket to a date with destiny in Houston. 

"We're going to enjoy this victory for one night, like we have all year long, and we'll be on to the next challenge and very quickly with a quick turnaround against a really good Miami team," Terry said.

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