AUSTIN, Texas _ Eight was enough for No. 21 Texas in a 78-73 season-opening win over Incarnate Word. Eight players, that is.
Coach Shaka Smart had only seven scholarship players and a walk-on at his disposal to begin his second season in Austin. Sophomores Kerwin Roach and Tevin Mack sat with a one-game suspension, and graduate transfer Mareik Isom is getting over an ankle procedure.
So UT's four freshmen, including five-star center Jarrett Allen, got all the minutes they wanted. The newcomers got themselves into a nail-biter, too.
The Cardinals chopped an 18-point deficit down to two with 7:14 remaining and had some real momentum when Jalin Hurt scored off a run-out. A stunned crowd of 10,922 didn't know how to react when Sam Burmeister drained a 3-pointer with 2:33 left to give Incarnate Word a 67-66 lead.
Kendal Yancy gave the Horns a one-point lead with two free throws. Then, the senior scored again after a good feed pass from Allen. UIW's next possession came up empty, and after a long scramble, UT's Jacob Young found Andrew Jones for a layup. Texas suddenly had a 72-67 lead with 32 seconds left.
