TEXAS 83, XAVIER 71
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tyrese Hunter scored 19 points, Marcus Carr and Christian Bishop added 18 apiece, and second-seeded Texas rolled to a victory over No. 3 seed Xavier to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years.
Playing most of the way without ailing star Dylan Disu, the Longhorns -- the highest seed left after No. 1s Alabama and Houston lost earlier in the night -- built a 42-25 lead by halftime. They quickly pushed it past 20 before cruising the rest of the way into a matchup with fifth-seeded Miami on Sunday night for a spot in the Final Four in Houston.
Sir'Jabari Rice had 16 points and Timmy Allen added 11 for the Longhorns (29-8), who kept Souley Boum and the rest of Xavier's perimeter threats in check while making life miserable for Jack Nunge down low.
Adam Kunkel hit five three-pointers and led the Musketeers (27-10) with 21 points. Nunge scored 15 but needed 19 shots to get there, while Colby Jones also had 15 points. Boum didn't hit a field goal until early in the second half and finished with 12 points.
The job the Longhorns did in shutting down Xavier was merely the latest example of some masterful work by interim Coach Rodney Terry. The longtime assistant took over in December, when Chris Beard was suspended and later fired over a since-dropped domestic violence charge, and Terry has not only kept the season from falling apart but sent his team soaring.
Things won't get any easier against Miami, which romped to an 89-75 win over the Cougars.
And especially without Disu, who led the Longhorns to a Big 12 tourney title and earned MVP honors on the same floor just over two weeks ago, and who'd been dominant through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Disu tried to play through a left foot injury that the Longhorns had successfully kept secret Friday night, but he lasted only a couple of minutes before limping off the floor and straight to the locker room. When he returned to the bench, he was wearing a big walking boot, a black hoodie and a grim expression.
Xavier guard Desmond Claude shoots over Texas forward Timmy Allen in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Xavier guard Colby Jones scores against Texas in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Texas forward Christian Bishop shoots over Xavier forward Jack Nunge in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Xavier forward Jerome Hunter vies for the ball with Texas forward Christian Bishop in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Texas forward Christian Bishop celebrates after scoring in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game against Xavier in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Texas guard Marcus Carr celebrates after scoring against Xavier in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Texas forward Christian Bishop shoots over Xavier forward Cesare Edwards in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Texas guard Marcus Carr drives to the basket past Xavier guard Souley Boum in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Texas guard Marcus Carr shoots past Xavier forward Jerome Hunter in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)