A few days after finding out they were being left out of the NCAA Tournament field, Texas earned their first postseason win since 2014, defeating South Dakota State 79-73 in the opening round of the NIT. The Longhorns were led by a big performance from Dylan Osetkowski, who poured in 26 points while adding 2 rebounds and 2 steals. The senior guaranteed himself at least one more game at the Frank Erwin Center as the Longhorns will host the winner of Xavier/Toledo in Round 2.
The Longhorns started out red hot against the Jackrabbits, jumping out to a 19-0 lead to start the game, including starting out 4 for 4 from 3-point range. South Dakota State quickly responded though and closed the deficit to 43-35 heading into halftime. Late in the second half, South Dakota State took a 67-64 lead, but the Longhorns closed the game on a 15-6 run to secure the victory. South Dakota State was led by senior Mike Daum, who scored a team high 25 points and added 11 rebounds.
The win moves Texas overall record to 17-16 on the season, and the Longhorns are now 2 wins away from advancing to the final 4 of the NIT, which is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
