Quick thoughts from No. 7 Texas’ 69-61 win over West Virginia

Jan 22, 2023 - 1:33 AM

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The No. 7 Texas Longhorns went into Morgantown and found a way to win ugly, outlasting the West Virginia Mountaineers, 69-61.

Here are a few quick thoughts from the win.

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Marcus Carr went crazy... again. He had just two points throughout the first 19:58 of the game. But his jumper to end the first half apparently ignited him offensively, and after Texas struggled so mightily to score in the first half, he was a walking bucket for the Horns after the break. He rained in a couple threes, sank some big-time free throws down the stretch, and per usual, had his way from mid-range, including a running floater as the shot clock expired to essentially seal the win. And when it was all said and done, his two points throughout the first 19:58 ended as 23 points on 8-14 from the field, in addition to a trio of assists and steals.

Texas’ big men were big in this one. Christian Bishop seemingly had some beef with the West Virginia rims, dunking everything, and his physicality was much-needed to match that of the Mountaineers. Meanwhile, Dylan Disu’s versatility was on display as he hit a few jumpers and worked inside against a stout WVU frontcourt. The duo combined for 24 points and a dozen rebounds.

This was an ugly, but impressive win by Texas. Winning in Morgantown is literally never easy, and once again, Texas won despite only receiving significant contributions from a few Longhorns. As noted, Carr, Disu, and Bishop impressed, and Sir’Jabari Rice (9 pts) continued to sink key free throws and making winning plays. Meanwhile, though Tyrese Hunter added 11 points, he went out yet again with cramps down the stretch and never returned, Arterio Morris and Dillon Mitchell were non-factors, Brock Cunningham didn’t crack the scoreboard, and even Timmy Allen was surprisingly held entirely in check, finishing with just two points. So, in theory, Texas found itself in a physical back-and-forth fight with WVU and took control late with only four Longhorns truly impacting the game. That’s not ideal, but Rodney Terry will take it.