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  • No. 8 Texas Men's Basketball Cruises Past the Northern Colorado Bears in Austin, 62-49

No. 8 Texas Men's Basketball Cruises Past the Northern Colorado Bears in Austin, 62-49

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Basketball

Junior Tre Mitchell posted a game-high 16 points to pace No. 8/5 Texas (2-1) to a 62-49 victory against Northern Colorado on Wednesday night at the Frank Erwin Center. This marked the first of three consecutive home games as part of the Abe Lemons Classic, a multi-team event honoring the legacy of the former basketball coach.

Mitchell converted 7-of-11 field goals and grabbed seven rebounds (four offensive) while adding an assist and one blocked shot in 21 minutes. Senior Timmy Allen tallied 10 points, a game-high eight rebounds (six offensive), three assists and two steals in 23 minutes.

Defense proved to be the difference in the contest, as the Longhorns limited Northern Colorado to 49 points while forcing 20 turnovers. Texas posted a 19-6 advantage in points off turnovers and registered a season-high 11 steals on the evening. UT also registered a 36-27 rebound margin, including a 15-3 advantage on the offensive glass.

Texas scored the first five points of the contest and never trailed. Leading 7-4 at the 17:01 mark, the Longhorns used an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to build a 15-4 advantage following a Christian Bishop three-pointer with 14:27 remaining. After a Matt Johnson three-pointer trimmed the margin to 15-9 at the 13:37 mark, Texas went on a 20-4 spurt during the next 12 minutes to increase its cushion to 35-13 following a Mitchell hook shot with 1:32 remaining.

The Longhorns held the Bears to one field goal made in the final 7:17 of the first half while claiming a 37-15 halftime advantage. Texas limited Northern Colorado to 15 points on 35.0-percent field goal shooting (7-20), including a 1-of-9 mark (.111) from three-point range, and forced 12 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. UT also registered a 14-0 advantage in points off turnovers in the first half.

Leading 43-26 at the 13:47 mark, Mitchell scored the game's next nine points to give the Longhorns a 52-26 advantage with 11:04 remaining. The margin stayed above the 20-point mark until the final three minutes of the contest.

Texas returns to action when it hosts San Jose State as part of the Abe Lemons Classic on Saturday, Nov. 20. Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m. Central at the Frank Erwin Center, and the game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network.