The drought — at least for tonight — is over. With a stunning battle into overtime, Texas men’s basketball finally pulled a win over No. 25 Mississippi State 87-82.
Late free throws from senior forward Arthur Kaluma and graduate guard Tramon Mark pulled the Longhorns ahead, while a missed jumper from Mississippi’s sophomore guard Josh Hubbard sealed the deal. The buzzer sounded and Texas entered the locker room victorious for the first time in a two week stretch.
It’s a badly needed win, especially for a Texas team that, in two weeks, will be facing the music as the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee makes its picks for March Madness. Whether Texas will gain entry or not is highly uncertain, but a win against a ranked opponent certainly offers a thin shred of hope.
Despite the victory, issues within the Longhorns’ game are still glaringly obvious. Texas had 16 turnovers against Mississippi State, a critical factor in the loss of an 11-point lead gained during the first five minutes of the second half.
Mississippi State quickly took away the lead, landing on top less than 10 minutes later at 60-57. Control of the game grappled back and forth until a settlement at 71-71 signaled a segue into overtime. A combination of grit and luck turned the short third period toward Texas’ favor, as most points made were the result of Mississippi State fouls.
Freshman shooting guard Tre Johnson led in points, putting up 23 within his 43 minutes of playing time. Averaging 20.6 points per game, Johnson is one of five finalists for the 2025 Jerry West Award, given annually for the best collegiate shooting guard of the year. He was also recently announced as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season.
Kaluma and graduate forward Kadin Shedrick followed Johnson on the scoreboard with 10 points apiece, with Kaluma adding 11 rebounds and Shedrick tallying two blocks.
Looking ahead to Saturday night, Texas will play its last home game of the season against long-time rival Oklahoma. The Sooners are unranked and sit right underneath the Longhorns within the conference, meaning that the two may have a likely chance to battle it out during the ensuing SEC Championship tournament.
“This time of year is about your mental makeup — how bad you want it, the urgency you have to play with,” head coach Rodney Terry said after Saturday’s loss against Georgia. “You’ve got to play with a chip on your shoulder every night.”
