Matas Vokietaitis ignited Texas' offense with a career-high scoring night, propelling the Longhorns to a crucial conference victory.
Texas basketball continues to find its footing in SEC play, and Saturday’s win at Moody Center felt like a turning point.
Behind a dominant performance from sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis, the Longhorns pulled away late to defeat the Ole Miss Rebels 79-68, marking their first three-game conference winning streak since joining the league.
Vokietaitis was the centerpiece from start to finish. The seven-footer poured in a game-high 27 points on an ultra-efficient 9-of-11 shooting night, matching a career best from the floor. He also knocked down 9-of-12 free throws, grabbed seven rebounds, and logged a career-high 35 minutes.
It was the second-highest scoring game of his career and a clear statement performance in the paint.
Texas improved to 15-9 overall and 6-5 in SEC play, showing balance to go with its interior dominance. Graduate guard Tramon Mark delivered another steady all-around effort, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists while committing just one turnover in 35 minutes.
Senior Jordan Pope chipped in 13 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
The Longhorns seized control early with an 11-1 run after Ole Miss struck first, then blew the game open midway through the first half with a 16-0 surge that pushed the lead to 29-11.
Texas carried a 37-25 advantage into halftime after holding the Rebels under 30 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.
Ole Miss made things interesting after the break, shooting a perfect 9-for-9 stretch to briefly take the lead.
But when the game tightened late, Texas delivered its best basketball. Pope sparked the closing run with a four-point play, followed by clutch buckets from Dailyn Swain and Simeon Wilcher. From there, the Longhorns locked down defensively and iced the game at the line.
Texas finished the afternoon shooting nearly 53 percent from the field, outrebounding Ole Miss by nine, and controlled the paint and second-chance points.
With momentum building, the Longhorns now head into a midweek bye before traveling to Missouri next Saturday, playing their most confident basketball of the season at exactly the right time.