The Good, Bad, and Ugly from Texas Longhorns' Win Over Rider

The Longhorns dominated at home to move to 4-1 on the season. As always, there were good, bad, and ugly takeaways from Texas' fourth win in a row.

Nov 18, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) is congratulated by forward Camden Heide (5) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

With a decisive 99-65 win over the Rider Broncs, the Texas Longhorns secured their fourth straight victory, moving to 4-1 early in the 2025 college basketball season. After a tough loss to No.5 Duke, head coach Sean Miller's squad has rebounded nicely by finding some rhythm offensively.

After totaling only 60 points in their season-opener against the Blue Devils, Texas has averaged 90 points per game during its four-game win streak. Offensively, the Longhorns had three players reach 20 points on the night, and four who reached double digits. Dailyn Swain led the way with 26 points against the Broncs, with Camden Heide and Matas
Vokietaitis follows closely behind with 20.

The difference between the Longhorns and Broncs was clear from the first whistle. In under six minutes, Texas put together a 19-4 run that helped set the tone for the rest of the night. By the time the Broncs finally found some rhythm, the Longhorns had built a comfortable lead that would only grow the rest of the way.

The Good- The Longhorns Found Another Offensive Weapon

Nov 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Camden Heide (5) brings the ball down court against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of the Dick Vitale’s Invitational game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Heide, a transfer from Purdue, had one of the more exciting nights for the Longhorns on Tuesday. In only his third game with Texas, the junior forward tallied 20 points, shooting 7 of 11 from the field, including six from beyond the arc.

Heide made his presence felt early on. In the first minute after tip-off, the Purdue transfer hit a three-point jump shot that signaled the beginning of the end for Rider. Before Tuesday, Heide had only totaled five points across three games, appearing for 34 total minutes. In the 2024-25 season, Heide only averaged 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds with the Boilermakers.

For the Longhorns, finding another sharp-shooter just means more scoring options in the future. When conference play officially begins, Texas is going to need every offensive weapon it can find to contend with teams like Florida, Alabama, and Kentucky.

The Bad- Hitting a Lull in the First Half

Nov 18, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller reacts during the first half against the Rider Broncs at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After the Longhorns reached 19 points within the first six minutes, the offense became relatively quiet for nearly seven minutes of game time. While Texas was still playing good defense, the offense struggled to build off of the momentum they had created at tip-off.

While this isn't the most concerning thing — since the Broncs struggled to score for most of the first half — it still could end up being a talking point in the future. I'm not exactly raising a red flag, but the Longhorns' ability to change and control the pace of the game is definitely something to take note of when they face Arizona State in the Southwest Maui Invitational.

The Ugly- Troubles Shooting from the Line

Nov 18, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) drives the ball to the basket during the first half against the Rider Broncs at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

When your team scores nearly 100 points, it can be hard to find an "ugly" takeaway. With three Longhorns reaching the 20-point mark, Texas' offense shone in nearly every category.

The only flaw that shows up on the stat sheet in Texas' win over the Broncs is their struggles at the line. The Longhorns made just 22 of their 34 free-throw attempts, marking their second-worst performance at the line this season.

While Sean Miller and the Longhorns ended up winning in a landslide, struggling with shots that are meant to be extremely easy isn't exactly ideal. If Texas wants to be a contender in the SEC, it will need to be sharper from the free-throw line in future contests.