3 Takeaways From Texas's Midweek Win Fending Off LSU Late

The Texas Longhorns headed into the back half of the regular season with a resounding wave of momentum as head coach Sean Miller's squad has continued to put together results down the stretch of the season, now winning five straight games after Tuesday night's 88-85 win over the LSU Tigers.

The Longhorns, midway through conference play, looked dead in the water after starting with a 3-5 record, and if no changes occurred, the season could've quickly unraveled for Texas. However, Miller was able to course-correct his squad and now has the Longhorns well above .500 in the SEC with an 8-5 record.

Texas won't have the chance to sit around and enjoy its victory as the Longhorns head back out on the road to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens on Saturday. Following the win against the Tigers, here are three takeaways from the Longhorns fifth straight win.

Dailyn Swain Keeps Playing at an All-SEC Level

Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain dribbles the ball against LSU Tigers forward Marquel Sutton. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

While the Longhorns received multiple double-digit performances from several of their key players, once again leading the scoring for the Burnt Orange was forward Dailyn Swain, ending the night with 20 points while shooting 58 percent from the field and bringing in a team-high 10 rebounds.

The forward is without a doubt Miller's biggest offseason addition, with Swain starting strong and just continuing to get better later in the season. The forward leads Texas in average points, rebounds, assists, and steals, tallying 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals a game.

Among SEC players, Swain is Top 10 in points, rebounds, and steals while also being Top 20 in assists. The forward should undoubtedly be a top candidate for Newcomer of the Year while also playing his way into earning an All-SEC selection, and if his play continues, a serious decision about the NBA Draft will be on the table for Swain.

Veteran Backcourt Players Shine

Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark looks to pass the ball during the first half. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Outside of Swain, the Longhorns still need solid contributions from others, especially from their backcourt duo of Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark, and against the Tigers, Texas got just that.

Both players ended the night with 18 points as Pope shot 62 percent from the field and was perfect from beyond the three-point line, making all three of his attempts while also adding four rebounds and an assist.

Mark's 18 points also came in an efficient manner, shooting 50 percent from the field and beyond the arc while also recording three rebounds, three steals, and an assist.

Texas has to Stop Letting off the Gas

Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope sets the play against the LSU Tigers. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After what was another slow start to a game, the Longhorns were able to take complete control of the game throughout the first half as Texas's largest lead got up to 17 points and led by 15 heading into halftime.

However, in the second half, the Longhorns were unable to land the knockout blow, allowing the Tigers to hang around and making things interesting towards the end of the game. LSU would actually outscore the Longhorns in the second half, 50-42.