With seven minutes left in the game, the Moody Center was already starting to empty as the writing was already on the wall for a Texas team down by over 20 points.

It's a sight the Longhorn faithful have become all too familiar with. Texas head coach Sean Miller finds that unacceptable.

"You can’t lose at home and be down by 25, 20, 30 in a big game and not feel like that’s a problem," he said.

When the final buzzer sounded, the score was 88-69 with Virginia taking down Texas in its first real home test of the season. 

In three out of their last four games, the Longhorns have given up over 85 points. After the game, Miller emphasized the need for his team to improve on the defensive side of the ball.

"A lot of where we go from here starts with that word, defense," he said. "It was just overwhelming how they destroyed our defense... This is a moment of truth for our season, where we have to be able to learn from it and improve that part of our team."

It may have been cold outside, but it was hot inside the arena as the Cavaliers lit up the court, shooting 54% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Texas knew of Virginia's prowess, and yet, it couldn't find a way to stop it.

"Coming into the game, we knew their to shoot the three-point shot, and it was like they took us by surprise," Miller said. "We had no answer for their ability from three."

The Cavaliers' 88 points was not the most outlandish number, but they were efficient. Along with a lights-out shooting performance, Virginia only turned the ball over seven times and got to the free-throw line 29 times. If it shot better than 69% from the charity stripe, the scoreline could've been much uglier for the Longhorns.

"They destroyed us," Miller said. "That's about as high a points per possession you can give up in a college basketball game."

The road from here doesn't get any easier. In just over a week, Texas travels to Hartford, Connecticut, to take on the No. 5-ranked UConn Huskies. Just a few games after that, the Longhorns start the gauntlet that is SEC play. 

If Texas doesn't turn it around fast, the season could go downhill in a hurry. 

“We’re at a crossroads," Miller said.

"We have to grow and be better."