No. 7 Texas Basketball Crushes Gardner-Webb In 98-50 Blowout

The No. 7 Texas Longhorns aren't wasting any time making a statement this basketball season.

Texas basketball continued its blistering start Thursday night, dismantling Gardner-Webb 98-50 at Moody Center behind another dominant offensive performance and a defense that made life miserable for the visiting Runnin' Bulldogs.

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Junior center Matas Vokietaitis celebrated his 22nd birthday by leading the Longhorns with 16 points and seven rebounds, connecting on six of eight shots in just 20 minutes.

But this wasn't simply a birthday party for the Lithuanian big man. It was another demonstration of how dangerous Texas could become under head coach Sean Miller.

The Longhorns improved to 2-0, following Monday's 109-59 season-opening victory over Chicago State with another lopsided performance.

It's the first time since the 1989-90 season that Texas has opened with consecutive victories by at least 45 points.

The numbers tell an overwhelming story.

Texas shot 60.7 percent from the floor, dominated the paint 54-10 and turned 23 Gardner-Webb turnovers into 31 points.

And the game's defining stretch was downright ugly for the visitors.

After Gardner-Webb trimmed the deficit to 33-20 late in the first half, Texas exploded for 21 unanswered points to take a commanding 54-20 halftime lead.

The Runnin' Bulldogs went nearly 12 minutes without a field goal spanning both halves, getting outscored 33-2 during that stretch.

That's the kind of defensive pressure that can bury opponents before they have a chance to recover.

Colorado transfer Isaiah Johnson added 15 points, while freshmen Marcus Spears Jr. and Joe Sterling contributed 13 apiece. Sterling connected on three shots from beyond the arc.

Freshman Austin Goosby continued making an immediate impact, finishing with 11 points and five steals.

David Punch and Elyjah Freeman each added 10 points, giving Texas seven players in double figures.

That balanced production might be the most encouraging development for Miller.

The Longhorns aren't relying on one superstar to carry the scoring load. They've got size, athleticism, emerging young talent and multiple players capable of producing.

Gardner-Webb, which fell to 0-2, shot just 33.3 percent from the field. Mikhail Pocknett and Jamias Ferere led the Runnin' Bulldogs with 12 points apiece.

Of course, Texas hasn't faced a major early-season test yet, and beating overmatched opponents doesn't guarantee success against SEC competition.

But the Longhorns are doing exactly what a nationally ranked team should do against inferior opposition: dominate from start to finish.

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Texas returns to Moody Center on Monday, November 9, to host Grambling State at 6 p.m. Central on SEC Network.

Another convincing performance would give the Longhorns even more momentum as their early-season schedule progresses.