Photo: garymilner / E+ / Getty Images
Max Abmas registered a season-high 23 points to lead Texas to an 86-63 victory over Wyoming on Sunday afternoon in Moody Center. The Longhorns improved to 4-0 at home this season and have topped the 80-point mark in five of their first six contests.
Abmas converted a season-high 8-of-14 field goals, including 3-of-6 threes, and 4-of-4 free throws to go along with four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. Graduate forward Kadin Shedrick recorded 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-3 FT) and two blocked shots in 26 minutes, and sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell tallied 12 points (6-11 FG) and a team-high nine rebounds in 24 minutes. Junior guard Tyrese Hunter posted 12 points (5-10 FG) and two assists, and graduate guard Ithiel Horton added 11 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 threes), three rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.
Texas converted 55.7-percent (34-61) from the floor and a season-best 92.3-percent (12-13) from the free throw line during the victory. The Longhorns recorded a plus-10 rebound margin (38-28) and limited the Cowboys to 39.0-percent (23-59) shooting from the floor, including a 30.8-percent (4-13) mark from three-point range.
Wyoming took an early 5-2 advantage following an Oleg Kojenets layup at the 15:33 mark, before the Longhorns responded with a 7-0 spurt to grab a 9-5 lead after a Horton three-pointer with 13:56 remaining. The Cowboys evened the score at 15-15 following a Cam Manyawu layup at the 9:20 mark.
Abmas connected on back-to-back three-pointers and Shedrick added a dunk in transition to give Texas a 23-15 advantage with 7:48 left. Wyoming trimmed the margin to 23-19 after a Manyawu dunk at the 7:09 mark, before the Longhorns went on an 11-3 run over the next four minutes to build a 34-22 cushion following a Shedrick three-point play with 3:08 remaining. The Cowboys cut the gap to 36-26 after a Sam Griffin jumper at the 1:50 mark, before Texas scored the final five points of the half to take a 41-26 advantage into the break.
The Longhorns opened the second half with a 6-3 spurt to increase their cushion to 47-29 following a Mitchell dunk with 17:48 left. Texas pushed the advantage to 56-35 after a pair of Brock Cunningham free throws at the 15:05 mark. An Abmas floater gave the Longhorns a 65-46 lead with 11:30 remaining, but the Cowboys used a 9-2 run to trim the margin to 67-55 following a Brendan Wenzel three-pointer at the 7:47 mark. That was as close as Wyoming would get, as Texas sealed the victory with a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to build an 82-57 cushion after a Mitchell layup with 2:58 left.
Texas is back in action when it hosts Texas State (3-4) on Thursday, Nov. 30. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central at Moody Center.