Longhorns’ Tyrese Hunter Shut Down in Return to Iowa State

After a deep triple from guard Tyrese Hunter silenced the rowdy crowd at James H. Hilton Coliseum within the first half Tuesday evening, the No. 7 Texas Longhorns regarded like they had been headed towards a productive sport in Ames after leaping out to 20-11 lead over the No. 12 Iowa State Cyclones.

Hunter, who was making his first return to Ames since transferring to Texas within the offseason, had six fast factors within the opening minutes regardless of being showered with fixed boos and expletives. His inevitable breakout after a latest scoring droop appeared prefer it was lastly right here towards his former workforce.

However towards a Cyclones protection that entered the sport permitting by far the fewest factors per sport within the Huge 12 this season (57.9), sustaining the early offensive success was removed from believable, as Hunter and the Longhorns stumbled their approach to a 78-67 loss in his highly-anticipated return.

“I instructed him I appreciated what he did for our program final yr,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger mentioned. “I instructed him I respect him. I instructed him to remain wholesome and maintain doing his factor.”

Hunter gained Huge 12 Freshman of the Yr final season with the Cyclones and was a main catalyst of their run to the Candy 16. However comparable magic, although there at first, hardly lasted on Tuesday.

Hunter’s deep 3 got here close to the 12-minute mark of the primary half to place Texas up 9, and in the end proved to be his ultimate subject aim of the sport. He scored only one extra level the remainder of the way in which and went scoreless within the second half earlier than ending with 10 factors on 3 of 11 taking pictures whereas including two rebounds and two assists.

The blame hardly falls on Hunter in what was doubtless an emotional evening for the stoic-faced guard.

Your entire Texas offense fell right into a downward spiral after main 22-13 halfway by the primary half. After not committing a turnover in the course of the first handful of minutes, the Longhorns succumbed to the terrors of Iowa State’s full-court strain and by no means recovered.

Hunter’s ultimate factors got here as he hit 1 of two free throws on the 4:34 mark to increase Texas’ result in 30-28, however the momentum change and injury had already appeared prefer it had settled itself in for the Cyclones.

Iowa State overcame a double-digit deficit and led 36-35 headed into halftime. Regardless of just a few early solutions from Texas to start the second half, the dearth of offense from Hunter and a few brutal scoring droughts from the Longhorns put a bow on a spectacular Cyclones win lengthy earlier than the ultimate buzzer.

Texas had zero subject targets for over a nine-minute stretch within the second half. Marcus Carr nailed what proved to be a meaningless 3 on the 2:24 mark, which was the Longhorns’ first subject aim since Carr had given them a 51-49 lead with 11:44 left.

Hunter’s struggles within the second half was simultaneous with Texas’ disappearing act as an offense. If there’s any positives to remove, it is that the preliminary feelings initially of the sport did not faze him from popping out robust.

But when the Longhorns need to show themselves as true contenders, they’re going to want Hunter for all 40 minutes in each sport the remainder of the season.

Texas (15-3, 4-2) will go to the West Virginia Mountaineers (10-7, 0-5) in Morgantown on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.

You’ll be able to comply with Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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