That’s not even a state.
In the “That’s Not Even a State” portion of the non-conference schedule for the Texas Longhorns, the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils arrived at the Moody Center in Austin ranked dead last in Division I in BartTorvik.com’s adjusted efficiency metrics and left as 89-43 losers on Saturday after the Longhorns outscored the Delta Devils 56-20 in the second half.
That meant that head coach Rodney Terry’s team scuffled to a 33-23 lead in the first half as Texas freshman guard Tre Johnson only scored one point on two shot attempts in 16 minutes as the Longhorns inexplicably failed to create any separation.
In the second half, Texas rolled Mississippi Valley State, hitting 18 of their final 20 shot attempts in making 77.8-percent of their shot attempts, relentlessly attacking downhill and winning one-on-one battles with 11 points in transition and 15 layups, including five dunks.
The offensive outburst included Johnson coming alive after halftime, scoring 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting with three made three-pointers. Texas senior forward Arthur Kaluma tied Johnson with a game-high 18 points in another efficient performance for the Creighton and Kansas State transfer, making 5-of-8 shot attempts and getting the line to convert 8-of-10 from the charity stripe, adding eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
As Mississippi State struggled to defend without fouling — committing 25 in the game — Texas attempted 36 free throws compared to 45 shots from the floor.
The Longhorns dominated some key statistical categories, posting a 44-18 margin in points in the paint, 16-2 on fast-break points, 21-4 in points off turnovers, and 7-0 in blocks.
The bottom line is that the Delta Devils are an awful basketball team the Longhorns should have buried in the first half. Instead, Johnson’s big second half was necessary to create separation.
Down the stretch, the performance of freshman forward Jamie Vinson was impressive with six points on three dunks, but there will also be plenty for Terry and his staff to critique before traveling to Brooklyn to face Syracuse next Thursday.