It was a tough night for the Texas Longhorns as they were pummeled by the No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, falling 103-80. Despite the blowout, there was a bright spot for Texas: graduate forward Jayson Kent, who put on a one-man show. Coming off the bench in the second half with Texas trailing 49-31, Kent exploded for 12 straight points, finishing with a season-high 19 points and a strong display of confidence.
Unfortunately, Kent’s spark couldn’t ignite the rest of the team. Texas struggled with shooting, converting just 29 of 69 attempts, and their defense couldn’t contain Alabama, who shot a scorching 61.8% from the field, including 17 made threes. As the game slipped away, fans started to head for the exits early, with “Roll Tide!” echoing through the Moody Center.
Even though Texas forced Alabama into 17 turnovers, the Crimson Tide’s dominance on offense left little room for the Longhorns to mount a comeback. Freshman guard Tre Johnson started strong, but couldn’t maintain momentum as Alabama continued to control the game.
Now sitting at 4–8 in SEC play, the Longhorns’ NCAA Tournament hopes are on the line. With Kentucky coming up next, the pressure is on for Texas to find their groove and turn things around. As graduate guard Julian Larry put it, “Every game is an NCAA Tournament game,” and it’s crunch time for the Longhorns to prove they belong.
