The Texas Longhorns’ season came to a heartbreaking end Wednesday night as they fell to the Xavier Musketeers 86-80 in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Xavier’s Marcus Foster led the charge with 22 points, while Zach Freemantle added 15 points despite battling foul trouble. The Musketeers erased a 13-point deficit, marking their biggest comeback win of the season
Texas started strong, taking advantage of early foul trouble for Xavier and scoring 26 of their 47 first-half points in the paint. The Longhorns led 47-39 at halftime, but Xavier rallied in the second half, tying the game at 65 with eight minutes remaining
Key plays included Jerome Hunter’s game-tying 3-pointer and John Hugley’s go-ahead 3-pointer with just over five minutes left. Freemantle sealed the win with a dunk in the final seconds.
Tre Johnson led Texas with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to fend off Xavier’s late surge. The Longhorns finish their season with a 19-16 record, while Xavier advances to face Illinois in the first round of the Midwest Region.
The future of Texas head coach Rodney Terry remains uncertain. Reports suggest that Texas is likely to make a move on Terry after two consecutive seasons of barely making the NCAA Tournament
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is expected to meet with Terry to discuss his future, with potential candidates already being considered if a change is made
Terry, who has been with Texas for 13 years, expressed his faith and commitment to the program, stating that his future is “in God’s hands“
