Pro tip for those attending last-minute holiday parties: lay off the snacks. Sure, the caramel-coated popcorn, chocolate pretzels and candy canes are sweet treats. But it’s just empty calories that aren’t fulfilling.
Kind of like No. 16 Texas playing 1-10 Alabama State three days before Christmas.
With the Rice men’s basketball program on a COVID-19 pause, Texas officials could have just released the Longhorns early for the holiday break. Instead, UT landed a game with Alabama State, currently ranked 309th nationally in Division I according to the NCAA’s NET rankings.
What good is buying that ugly holiday sweater if you never wear it, right?
Little was learned in the Horns’ 68-48 victory Wednesday at the Erwin Center. The Hornets came in as 30-point underdogs and hung around as long as they could. Texas had four players in double figures and pulled away late to improve to 9-2.
Sure beats a lump of coal in one’s burnt orange stocking.
“Alabama State lost a game against UCLA, so these guys were kind enough to come play the game. Really appreciate it, too,” Texas coach Chris Beard said. “They pushed us tonight and that’s exactly what we needed.”
Dylan Disu had 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks in a season-high 17 minutes. There’s no question he should be full strength when Big 12 play begins on New Year’s Day. “Every game I felt better just from a stamina standpoint,” Disu said. “I think you could tell just from like my explosiveness in game.”
Marcus Carr had 13 points, Andrew Jones put up 12 and Timmy Allen had 10 points with seven boards. The Horns (9-2) didn’t have a single fast-break point but scored 32 in the paint and eight off second chances.
“One thing I said coming into the game was that if they force us into 20 turnovers, they’re probably going to win the game,” interim Alabama State coach Trey Johnson said. “That’s exactly what they did.”
The most interesting thing about Alabama State is that’s where former Texas forward Gerald Liddell landed. He spent the last two-plus seasons at UT playing for former coach Shaka Smart but left the program after the 2020 fall semester.
Liddell eventually chose Alabama State to play for coach Mo Williams, who guided Liddell during his AAU days. Williams himself had to miss Wednesday's game to be with his wife, who was expecting.
Liddell opened the proceedings with an impressive 16-footer en route to his team-high 16 points. He hit another mid-range shot and got fouled by former teammate Jones on a 3-point attempt. Liddell hit all three free throws, giving the Hornets a 13-2 lead.
“Wake up!,” one vocal Texas fan shouted at the home team.
