Graduate guard Marcus Carr recorded a team-high 17 points, but No. 5/7 Texas (29-9) lost 88-81 to No. 16/15 Miami, Fla. (29-7) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Sunday afternoon in T-Mobile Center.
The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history.
Carr converted 3-of-8 three-pointers and added a game-high six assists against just one turnover in 38 minutes. Super senior Timmy Allen posted 16 points while hitting 6-of-11 field goals and 4-of-6 free throws and tallied four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. Graduate Sir'Jabari Rice added 15 points while converting 5-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, in 28 minutes.
Miami scored the game's opening six points and took a 9-2 lead following an Isaiah Wong layup at the 17:20 mark. The Longhorns responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to grab an 11-9 advantage after a Rice jumper with 14:23 left. Texas increased its cushion to 17-13 following a Brock Cunningham three-pointer at the 12:05 mark.
Miami took a 21-20 advantage after a Jordan Miller jumper with 8:04 remaining, before the Longhorns scored five-straight points to grab a 25-21 lead following an Allen jumper at the 7:18 mark. The Hurricanes trimmed the margin to 36-33 after a Miller layup with 2:25 left, and Texas responded by closing the half on a 9-4 spurt to take a 45-37 cushion into the break. The Longhorns converted 54.8-percent (17-31) from the floor, including a 53.9-percent (7-13) mark from three-point range, and registered 14 assists (on 17 made field goals) against four turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes closed the deficit to 47-41 following a Nijel Pack layup at the 18:34 mark, before Texas answered with a 6-0 spurt to build a 53-41 advantage after an Allen jumper with 17:24 remaining. A pair of Allen free throws gave the Longhorns a 67-55 advantage at the 10:14 mark.
After an alley-oop dunk finish by Dillon Mitchell provided Texas with a 70-60 cushion with 8:53 remaining, Miami used a 13-2 spurt over the next three-and-a-half minutes to grab a 73-72 advantage following a Norchad Omier three-point play at the 5:26 mark. A Carr jumper evened the score at 79-79 with 1:26 left, but Miami hit six-straight free throws over the next minute to build an 85-79 lead with 23 seconds left and seal the outcome.
Texas concludes the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 29-9, the third-most victories in a single season in program history. The Longhorns won the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (postseason league tournament title) and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008.