Carr hits 10 3s, scores 41, No. 6 Texas beats A&M-Commerce

By MARK ROSNER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Marcus Carr tied a Texas record with 10 3-pointers and matched his career high with 41 points as the sixth-ranked Longhorns beat Texas A&M-Commerce 97-72 on Tuesday night.

Carr, a senior, previously scored 41 while playing for Minnesota against Nebraska on Feb. 27, 2021. He scored 33 points in the first half alone Tuesday, matching a Texas record for a half set by Jim Krivacs in 1978.

Carr’s total was the most by a Texas player since Reggie Freeman had 43 points against Fresno State on Dec. 14, 1996.

“We wanted to make Texas beat us from 3,” A&M-Commerce coach Jaret von Rosenberg said. “Carr really had a night. The rim looked like an ocean for him.”

Texas (11-1) played its fourth straight game without coach Chris Beard, who was suspended without pay after his Dec. 12 arrest on a felony family violence charge. It was the Longhorns’ first game since Beard’s fiancée, Randi Trew, issued a statement saying Beard did not strangle her and she never wanted him arrested or prosecuted.

Carr converted 13 of 19 shots in 30 minutes, including 10 of 15 3-pointers. He has totaled 103 points in his last four games. He made eight 3s in the first half, a school record for a half, as the Longhorns led 47-29 at the break.

“Most of the shots that I put up felt really good,” Carr said. “I thought they were going in. My teammates just kept giving me confidence after they’d seen me knock down the first couple. They just said, ‘We’re going to look for you. Keep shooting. Keep knocking them down.’”

Carr attempted only four shots in the second half. He had two assists in each half.

“You’d think he’d want to try to continue gunning, but he came out the opposite,” acting coach Rodney Terry said. “He was a willing passer.”

Terry removed Carr with 3:26 remaining knowing he needed one more 3-pointer to break Al Coleman’s school record set in 1997.

“We need him on Saturday (at Oklahoma),” Terry said. “We don’t need him the last three, four minutes of the game, and he turns his ankle. We need him healthy.”

Carr said he became aware of the 3-point record when it was posted on the arena’s video board.

“Timmy (Allen) looked at me and said get one more,” Carr said. “Not to say I didn’t want to break it. But it wasn’t of as much importance to me. Honestly, at that point, I was really just focused on trying to get better on defense.”

Freshman Dillon Mitchell scored a season-best 16 points for Texas, providing an inside complement to Carr’s long-range shooting. Arterio Morris scored 12 points. Allen had eight points, eight assists and six rebounds. Tyrese Hunter also had eight assists.

C.J. Roberts scored 20 points to lead A&M-Commerce (4-10). Tommie Lewis added 19 points for the Lions.

Carr is the first Longhorn other than Terry to be allowed to speak to the media since Beard’s arrest.

“Right now, R.T. is our coach. We’re focused on being led by him. Obviously, it’s an adjustment, but a good and smooth one,” Carr said.

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M-Commerce: The Lions moved up to Division I this season, and the transition has not been easy. They played 13 of their first 14 games on the road or at neutral sites and have lost six straight by an average of 15.8 points. They attempt a lot of 3-pointers, 29 a game before Tuesday, with 27% accuracy. Texas limited A&M-Commerce to 15 attempts. The Lions made seven, and they shot 53% overall.

Texas: The Longhorns have 73 assists on 101 baskets in their last three games. They made 28 assists on 37 baskets against A&M-Commerce.

DISU UPDATE

The Longhorns caught a break when the left knee injury starting forward Dylan Disu suffered last week against Louisiana-Lafayette was diagnosed as a sprain and not something more serious. Disu had season-ending surgery to the same knee while playing for Vanderbilt in 2020-21. Disu practiced this week but did not play Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M-Commerce hosts Incarnate Word Saturday in its Southland Conference opener.

Texas is at Oklahoma Saturday for its Big 12 opener.

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