Freshman guard Tre Johnson scores 28 points to lead No. 19 Texas past Houston Christian 90-59
Texas guard Tre Johnson (20) drives against Houston Christian guard Demari Williams (0) during the first half an NCAA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Credit: AP/Michael Thomas
AUSTIN, Texas — Freshman guard Tre Johnson scored 28 points and No. 19 Texas defeated Houston Christian 90-59 on Friday night.
Arthur Kaluma added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns (1-1), who began pulling away with a 15-0 run that started late in the first half.
Chendall Weaver had 12 points, five rebounds and three steals. Kadin Shedrick finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
Johnson shot 5 of 8 on 3-pointers and made several aggressive driving shots.
Julian Mackey led Houston Christian (1-1) with 20 points. Bryson Dawkins added 13.
Takeaways
Houston Christian: The Huskies were picked to finish last in the 12-team Southland Conference by the league’s coaches and media relations representatives. But they might have found a reliable scorer with the addition of Dawkins, who has 31 points in two games after transferring from Itawamba Community College, where he averaged 14.5 per game last season.
Texas: Johnson, a big recruit for Texas and a possible lottery pick in the NBA draft, has 57 points in two games. He is 10 for 18 on 3-pointers. ... Tramon Mark, a guard who led Arkansas in scoring last season before transferring to Texas, has missed both games with his new team because of an ankle injury. Longhorns coach Rodney Terry said he has no timetable for Mark’s return.
Texas forward Jason Kent, left, goes up for a dunk against Houston Christian forward Porter Bazil, right, during the first half an NCAA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Credit: AP/Michael Thomas
Key moment
The Longhorns’ 15-0 spurt started with a 3-pointer by Johnson with 20 seconds left in the first half. Johnson made two more 3s during that streak, and Shedrick blocked two shots.
Key stat
Johnson’s teammates shot 3-pointers better than they did during Texas' opening-night loss to Ohio State. They went 2 of 17 against the Buckeyes and 5 for 13 against Houston Christian.
Up next
Texas hosts Chicago State on Tuesday, and Houston Christian is at No. 15 Creighton on Wednesday.
