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  • Texas Falls to the Seton Hall Pirates, 64-60, in the Big 12 - BIG EAST Challenge

Texas Falls to the Seton Hall Pirates, 64-60, in the Big 12 - BIG EAST Challenge

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Basketball

Senior Tre Mitchell and Timmy Allen both recorded double-doubles, but No. 7/11 Texas (6-2) dropped a hard-fought 64-60 contest at No. 23 Seton Hall (8-1) on Thursday night at Prudential Center. The contest was a part of the Big 12-BIG EAST Challenge.

Both of Texas' defeats this season have come in true road games against AP Top 25 opponents. The Longhorns earlier lost at No. 1 Gonzaga on Nov. 13.

Mitchell posted a game-high and season-high 19 points while converting 9-of-17 field goals and grabbed a season-best 11 rebounds to go along with two blocks and two steals in 35 minutes. Allen registered 17 points while hitting 8-of-15 field goals and grabbed a season-best 12 boards in 33 minutes. Senior Marcus Carr also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points while adding three assists without a turnover in 36 minutes.

Seton Hall used an early 10-0 spurt to build a 14-6 advantage following a Myles Cale three-pointer at the 13:33 mark. Trailing 18-12 after a Tyrese Samuel dunk with 11:22 remaining, the Longhorns went on a 16-5 run over the next five minutes to grab a 28-23 cushion following an Allen layup at the 6:39 mark.

Texas held the lead until the Pirates scored the final five points of the half in the last 46 seconds, including an Alexis Yetna three-pointer with three second left to tie the game at 37-37 at the break. The Longhorns converted 55.6-percent from the field (15-27) and went 7-of-7 from the free throw line in the first half. Mitchell had 13 points while hitting 6-of-9 field goals in the opening 20 minutes.

UT started the second half with a 7-2 run to take a 44-39 advantage following a Carr layup at the 17:56 mark. The Pirates responded with an 11-2 spurt over the next four-and-a-half minutes to build a 50-46 cushion after a Jared Rhoden jumper with 13:17 left. A Mitchell dunk tied the game at 50-50 at the 11:24 mark.

The contest turned into a defensive battle over the final 10 minutes, and Texas took its final lead at 56-54 on an Allen layup with 8:12 remaining. Rhoden answered with a put-back and a jumper to give the Pirates a 58-56 advantage at the 5:29 mark. Both teams were held scoreless for nearly the next four minutes before a Samuel free throws extended Seton Hall's cushion to 59-56 at the 1:39 mark.

UT trimmed the margin to 59-58 on an Allen layup with 52 seconds remaining, but the Pirates responded with a Bryce Aiken three-pointer to build a 62-58 lead with 33 seconds left. Another Allen layup close the gap to 62-60 with 24 seconds remaining. Aiken sealed the win for the Pirates by hitting a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining.

The Longhorns were held to 1-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc on the night.

Texas returns to action when it hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central at the Frank Erwin Center, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPNU.