Longhorns Never Trail, Demolish Old Rival Arkansas in Charity Exhibition
Two old rivals of the Southwest Conference clashed for reasons bigger than themselves on Saturday, as the No. 12 Texas Longhorns hosted the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks for a charity exhibition at the new Moody Center in Austin.
But with the scoreboard lit up, there was still plenty on the court to play for between two highly-touted top-25 opponents. However, it was Texas who took hold of the opportunity to grab a significant punch of momentum headed into the 2022-23 college basketball season, as the Longhorns used a dominant second half to cruise to a 90-60 win over the Razorbacks.
Though unofficial, the Longhorns got their first win over Arkansas since 2018. The rankings won't be affected headed into the beginning of the college basketball season, both teams got an idea of what they're working with.
On a team full of veterans, Texas freshman guard Arterio Morris stood out. He led all scorers with 19 points on 4 of 6 shooting from deep to go along with three assists. The Longhorns had four other scorers in double figures, as Dillon Mitchell (10 points), Sir'Jabari Rice (11 points), Timmy Allen (12 points) and Tyrese Hunter (10 points) all had major contributions.
The Razorbacks were led by standout forward Jordan Walsh, who posted 14 points on five rebounds.
Mitchell had the highlight of the first half with an emphatic block in the paint. The play certainly gave Longhorns fans and scouts in attendance -- which included San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford -- an exciting treat.
Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr., a projected first-round draft pick next summer, had seven of the first 12 points for the Razorbacks. He led all scorers with 10 at the half, but it was Texas who built a 40-30 lead headed into the locker room after Hunter splashed his second hit from deep in the closing minute.
Back-to-back buckets at the rim for Mitchell and an and-one from Allen got things started quickly in the second half for the Horns, who built their biggest lead of the game at that pint after the 7-0 run made it 47-30.
But this lead ballooned in a blink after three 3s from Morris and a handful of free throws had suddenly given Texas a 34-point lead at 69-35. The Horns had outscored the Hogs 29-5 in the first eight minutes of the half, which included a 20-0 run.
The Longhorns never looked back, as a runaway dunk from Morris and a put-back slam from Mitchell near the five-minute mark signaled the final pair of highlight plays of a game that coach Chris Beard is likely quite pleased with headed into the season.
Texas begins the regular season at home on Monday, Nov. 7 against the UTEP Miners.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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