Texas men’s basketball remains perfect through its first three regular-season games with another defensive victory against non-conference opposition.
The Longhorns tacked on another early-season win without much pushback from their opponent, taking down the Grambling State Tigers 93-62 on Monday night.
Head coach Sean Miller’s squad continues to pour in points through the first three games of the season, averaging 100 points per game, and the victories mark Texas’ first time opening a season with three wins by at least 30 points since the 2003-4 season.
Leading the scoring output on Monday was junior center Matas Vokietaitis, who capped off his night with 26 points as both the Longhorns’ and the game’s leading scorer.
Vokietaitis’s 26-point performance is the second time this season he has finished with 20-plus points, and he was two points shy of tying his career high.
“(Matas) Vokietaitis, he’s unguardable on our level,” Grambling State head coach Patrick Crarey II said postgame.
The Longhorns’ seven-footer found easy work in the paint, ending the night 8-for-12 from the field and going to the line 12 times to cash in 10 of those attempts for easy points from the charity stripe.
Not only was Vokietaitis a force on the offensive side of the court, but the big man was also highly active on the defensive side. He totaled nine rebounds, five on the defensive glass, and added a block and a steal.
“It’s so easy to play off of him (Vokietaitis),” junior forward David Punch said. “I don’t think any team can really guard both of us; they got to pick your poison. You want to guard him, he’s going to be open; guard me, he’s going to be open. So really it’s a double-edged sword.”
The connection between Vokietaitis and his frontcourt running mate in Punch has been developing through the first three games, and tonight the duo combined for 36 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and four steals.
The pairing of Vokietaitis and Punch gives Miller a unique advantage, as the two post players work off of each other effectively.
“Those guys, they’re a great combination,” Miller said. “I think they both are grateful that the other one is their teammate. I think Punch loves the fact that he doesn’t have to play the five often and that he has a bigger guy in there with him. And I think Matas relishes having a partner that can take some of the punishment off of him.”
Freshman guard Joe Sterling also found plenty of production off the bench, finishing the night with 13 points. Sterling scored the second-most on the team, shooting 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range.
Sterling continues to show off his three-point prowess, and Miller has not overlooked it.
“In my time, he’s as good of a shooter as I’ve been around,” Miller said. “You have to recognize his role as the sniper. He runs around with a red dot on his head, is he open? If he’s open, you’ve got to find him.”
The Longhorns leave the Moody Center for the first time this season over the weekend.
They’ll take a trip down I-35 to take on former Big 12 foe, the Baylor Bears, as part of the San Antonio Hoops Showdown at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
