LAHAINA, HI – A late rally fell short as the Texas Longhorns dropped a narrow 87-86 decision to Arizona State in the Maui Invitational on Wednesday. The loss moves Texas to 10-6 all-time in the tournament across six appearances.
Despite leading for over 30 minutes (30:53) of the contest, which featured eight ties and seven lead changes, Texas was unable to hold off a determined Sun Devils squad. The Longhorns led by as much as 10 points (76-66) with 7:33 remaining in the second half, but Arizona State closed strong to secure the victory. This result marks the fourth loss for Texas against Arizona State in their all-time series, now standing at 4-2 in favor of the Longhorns.
Texas dominated the paint, outscoring Arizona State 46-30, and generated a significant advantage in transition with 23 fast-break points compared to the Sun Devils’ four. The Longhorns also controlled the boards,finishing with a +12 rebound margin (34-22) and a 17-10 edge in second-chance points,fueled by an 11-6 advantage on the offensive glass. A hot shooting performance in the second half saw Texas convert 76.0% (19-25) from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, and score 52 points after halftime.
Dailyn Swain led the Longhorns in scoring with a team-high 24 points, tying his career-best in field goals made (10-14), and reaching double figures for the sixth time this season and the 31st time in his career. Matas Vokietaitis added 15 points, reaching double figures for the sixth time this year and the 24th time in his career. Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope each contributed 11 and 10 points respectively. Mark reached double figures for the third time this season and the 77th time in his career, while Pope hit the mark for the fourth time this year and the 75th time in his career. Simeon Wilcher also made an impact, setting a new career high with three blocked shots in 19 minutes of action.
