AUSTIN (KXAN) — When it was winning time, Texas got the ball to Max Abmas.
Abmas scored all 11 points during an 11-0 run to break a 64-64 tie with 3:51 remaining, leading the Longhorns to a 77-66 win over No. 25 TCU on Saturday at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth.
It’s the third road win in Big 12 Conference play for the Longhorns (15-7, 4-5 Big 12), and Abmas put the team on his back late in the game. He added a pair of foul shots late to score the Longhorns’ final 13 points of the game and finish with a team-high 21 points on 6 of 14 shooting and a 7-for-7 performance from the foul line.
After TCU’s Emanuel Miller tied the game with a pair of foul shots, Abmas made a huge defensive play with a steal under the basket. He then began his 11-point outburst, racing down the floor to convert a contested layup and finish the sequence with a foul shot at the 3:25 mark. Abmas then hit back-to-back 3-pointers, one from about 30 feet out, and finished the flurry with two more foul shots to give Texas a 75-64 lead in front of a stunned crowd of 7,894. TCU finished the game by connecting on one of its final seven shots.
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Texas guard Max Abmas (3) defends against TCU guard Trevian Tennyson (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
TCU forward Xavier Cork (12) defends against Texas forward Kadin Shedrick (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
TCU forward Emanuel Miller, right, dunks in front of Texas forward Brock Cunningham (30) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
Texas forward Dylan Disu (1) fouls TCU guard Micah Peavy (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
Former TCU player Kendrich Williams waves to the crowd as his jersey number is retired during halftime of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
Texas guard Max Abmas (3) makes a basket as TCU guard Trevian Tennyson (11) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
Texas forward Dylan Disu (1) dunks in front of TCU forward Emanuel Miller (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
Texas head coach Rodney Terry directs this team against TCU during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) -
TCU guard Micah Peavy, right, fouls Texas guard Max Abmas (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Abmas scored just two points in the first half, the lone bucket coming off a backdoor layup with 7:00 left, but when the Longhorns needed him the most, he thrived. Abmas was 1 for 5 from the field in the first half but roared in the second half shooting 5 for 9 with both of his 3-pointers during the run. During the big run, Abmas moved to 13th all-time on the NCAA scoring list, passing Kansas Jayhawks legend Danny Manning who scored 2,951 career points. Abmas ended the game with 2,954 career points and can pass Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson next who has 2,973.
Dillon Mitchell turned in his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds including a ferocious windmill dunk off a steal with 1:21 left in the first half to give the Longhorns a 41-32 lead.
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Texas led 43-32 at halftime, but the Horned Frogs battled back to take the lead with 8:58 remaining following Jameer Nelson Jr.’s 3-point play. From that point, Texas outscored TCU 26-11.
TCU came into the game as the nation’s leader in fastbreak points, averaging just over 21 per game, but Texas kept them under their average allowing 16. The Longhorns dominated the boards 34-21 including 14-7 on the offensive glass, leading to 17 second-chance points. TCU had only five such points. Texas also dominated in the paint with 44 points to TCU’s 28.
For the Longhorns, Dylan Disu scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds with a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. Kadin Shedrick came off the bench and chipped in nine points while Chendall Weaver got the start at scored seven. Tyrese Hunter had six assists and Brock Cunningham hit both of his shots, 3-pointers in the first half, to finish with six points. Texas shot 50% from 3-point range, making 6 of 12.
For the Horned Frogs, Emanuel Miller led the way with 15 points, followed by Avery Anderson III with 13. Tre Tennyson and Ja’Kobe Coles each scored 10.
Texas is now 3-2 during its stretch of playing ranked opponents consecutively in the Big 12, and they’ve got one more to go. The Longhorns host No. 12 Iowa State at 7 p.m. Tuesday.