Texas throttles Delaware State in 90-68 win

In a tuneup game ahead of two important non-conference matchups over the next nine days, the Texas Longhorns got off to a strong start and cruised to a 90-68 victory over an overmatched Delaware State Hornets team as freshman guard Tre Johnson scored a team-high 21 points and the Horns shot 51.6 percent from the field.

The struggles from beyond the arc bled into a third-straight game for Johnson, who went 2-of-9 shooting on three-point attempts, but went 6-of-8 shooting from two and only turned the ball over twice by letting the game come to him.

Three other players scored in double digits for Texas, including a 15-point performance from senior wing Tramon Mark off the bench, 14 points and 11 rebounds from senior forward Kedin Shedrick, who took six shot attempts, and 13 points from senior forward Arthur Kaluma in an efficient effort.

Head coach Rodney Terry’s team struggled at times on the defensive glass, giving up 14 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points, but also took advantage of mistakes by the Hornets, turning 13 turnovers into 20 points and getting out in transition for a 17-7 advantage in fast-break points.

Texas never trailed, racing out to a 10-2 lead before missing four straight shots, all good looks from three, including two by Johnson, and turned the ball over before Johnson got out in transition for a layup through contact, converting the three-point play at the line. Then Kaluma hit a deep three, the first triple for the Horns in the game, and Delaware State was forced to call a timeout after another turnover led to a runout with Mark throwing a halfcourt lob to Kaluma to make it 18-6.

With the Horns surging, the Hornets fell into a scoreless drought, missing shots and turning the ball over during a five-minute stretch that saw Texas score 11 straight points, capped by a Johnson three prior to the under-12 media timeout.

Delaware State ultimately went nearly six minutes without scoring, breaking the drought at the free-throw line, and missed nine straight shots from the field before making a bucket.

By the under-eight timeout, Texas had converted seven turnovers into 11 points with a 10-0 advantage in fast-break points.

But the Horns also went four minutes without a field goal before going on a 9-0 run to close out the first half with a 41-22 lead when Kaluma hit a three, senior guard Julian Larry got out in transition for a layup after a steal by Kaluma, Johnson turned a block by Kaluma into a fast-break layup, and Shedrick scored at the rim on an offensive rebound.

Delaware State shot 27.3 percent in the first half as Texas struggled from three-point range — Kaluma hit both of his attempts from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team went 2-of-14 shooting from three.

Some basic ball movement created an open look for Johnson to open the second half, though, and the freshman knocked it down. Several possessions later, Johnson assisted on a three, throwing a skip pass to junior guard Jordan Pope to beat Delaware State’s zone defense. Then it was Pope’s turn to assist on a three, finding Kaluma for his third triple. Out in transition, a sweet up-and-under move by Johnson produced an acrobatic layup.

The visitors were never able to make a run in the second half in a workmanlike effort for the Longhorns as senior forward Jayson Kent missed his third straight game with a wrist injury and the reserves played minimal roles as Terry tried to prepare his team for a trip to Raleigh and a home game against UConn in nine days.