AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Max Abmas scored 19 points, Ithiel Horton added 18 and No. 18 Texas used a flurry of 3-pointers to pull away for an 86-59 victory over Delaware State on Friday night.
The Longhorns (2-0) made seven 3-pointers in the second half, finishing the game 12 for 22.
Some of those long-distance shots keyed a 27-2 push for Texas after the Longhorns led by just seven midway through the second half. Delaware State (0-2) went nearly 8 1/2 minutes without a field goal.
Horton, who transferred this season from Central Florida, was 5 of 6 from behind the arc. He is 8 of 13 in two games as a Longhorn.
Abmas, who transferred from Oral Roberts this season, made 4 of 8 3-pointers.
MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters
The three starting guards — Tyrese Hunter (13 points) and newcomers Abmas and Horton — are learning to play together.
“It’s only going to get better,” Abmas said. “We’re in the second game. Not just us three, but everybody, continuing to figure everybody out.”
Dillon Mitchell had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Texas.
Jevin Muniz scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half for Delaware State. Brandon Stone added 14 for the Hornets.
Texas struggled early in the game against Delaware State’s aggressive zone defense, committing eight turnovers in the first eight minutes, primarily with poor passing.
The Longhorns became more careful after those initial turnovers, losing the ball just four times the rest of the half while taking a 39-30 lead. They finished with 20 turnovers.
When they did not throw the ball away, the Longhorns had 22 assists on 28 baskets. Abmas and Hunter had five apiece.
“If you look at our numbers, we were very efficient against their zone,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said. “The one area that was glaring was the turnovers. We were just too casual taking care of the basketball.”
BIG PICTURE
Delaware State: The Hornets, picked to finish sixth in the eight-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference by the league’s head coaches and sports information representatives, started their season with two tough games against Power 5 opponents. They lost at Penn State 79-45, shooting 29% and committing 23 turnovers. They improved against Texas with 40% shooting but made 21 turnovers.
Texas: Terry said the team received encouraging news regarding starting forward Dylan Disu’s recovery from offseason foot surgery. But Terry could not provide a target date for Disu’s return. He has not practiced with the team but Terry hopes he will soon. Disu, a 6-foot-9 graduate student, averaged 16.5 points in his final eight full games before the injury.
NOT SO FAST
Texas, which tries to play at a quick pace, only had an 11-9 edge in fast-break points after beating Incarnate Word 29-0 in that area on Monday.
UP NEXT
Delaware State hosts Delaware on Wednesday.
Texas host Rice on Wednesday.
[#item_full_content]