The Texas Longhorns took down the Vanderbilt Commodores in the opening round of the SEC men’s basketball tournament, setting up an in-state showdown against Texas A&M with major March Madness implications.
In Wednesday’s first round matchup with Vanderbilt, the Longhorns jumped out to an early lead in the first half that eventually expanded to double figures. They ended the opening half on a 20-11 scoring run engineered by Tre Johnson and Aruthur Kaluma that gave them a 15-point cushion at the break.
Recommended Videos
Facing such a deficit, the Commodores needed to come out of the gates swinging in the second half, and they weren’t able to do that. Although they brought the score within 11 points from a momentary spark, scores by Johnson, Jordan Pope, and Tramon Mark quickly added to the Longhorn lead.
The Texas advantage kept the Commodores at arm’s length, and the Longhorns held on for a 79-72 victory. Johnson and Mark were Texas’ leading scorers, each finishing with 19 points.
The win vaults the Longhorns into the second round, where they’ll play their bitter rival: the Texas A&M Aggies.
As if the two biggest universities in the state didn’t have enough bad blood, their two previous matchups in the regular season certainly added fuel to the fire.
MORE UT-A&M BEEF: Transfers, IG captions, and Venmo requests: A&M community reacts to underhanded end of Schlossnagle era
The Longhorns traveled to College Station for their first in-conference game in SEC play, and they were walloped by the Aggies to the tune of 80-60. Their second contest in Austin looked to be more of the same, as A&M led by as many as 22 points. However, the Longhorns patiently chipped away at the lead until Mark hit a layup with three seconds remaining to help Texas steal a 70-69 victory.
Along with some healthy animosity (or unhealthy, depending on who you ask), this game is vitally important for the resumes of both teams ahead of Selection Sunday.
The Aggies have already comfortably punched their ticket into the March Madness tournament, regardless of today’s outcome. Even so, a strong showing in this tournament could be the difference maker when the committee is deciding who deserves a 2-seed, a 3-seed or a 4-seed—as those seeds seem to be where the Aggies will end up.
Texas needs a strong tournament performance as well, but not in the same way. The Longhorns have found themselves in the infamous “bubble,” the title given to the fringe teams fighting for the final few spots in the Big Dance. Despite big wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State (as well as the aforementioned one over A&M), the Longhorns are haunted by a pedestrian 18-14 overall record and a 6-12 mark in conference play. This tournament is their last chance to prove that they’re more than those unimpressive marks.
At any rate, Thursday’s matchup is sure to be one to remember—at least for one of these teams.
Tip-off is slated for 2:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
