Hunter scores 26, No. 11 Texas dominates No. 2 Gonzaga 93-74

© Provided by The Associated Press Texas guard Tyrese Hunter (4) celebrate a score during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Gonzaga, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tyrese Hunter scored 26 points and a led a 3-point shooting spree for No. 11 Texas that carried the Longhorns to a 93-74 win over No. 2 Gonzaga on Wednesday night.

Hunter, last season’s Big 12 freshman of the year at Iowa State, was 9-of-14 shooting and made five of Texas’ 13 3-pointers. He made three from long range in the opening minutes of the second half as the Longhorns seized control.

Texas (3-0) shut down Gonzaga All-American forward Drew Timme for long stretches and rendered him mostly ineffective when the game was still close. Two of his first four shots were airballs against switching double-team defenses.

© Provided by The Associated Press Texas guard Tyrese Hunter (4) drives past Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Marcus Carr added 16 points for the Longhorns. Timme led Gonzaga (2-1) with 18 points.

Texas held Gonzaga to a single basket over the final five minutes of the first half and stretched a tight game into a 10-point halftime lead behind a rare scoring burst from defensive specialist Brock Cunningham. He made a 3-pointer and a reverse layup before tipping away a pass to Timme for his own layup that made it 47-37.

© Provided by The Associated Press Texas guard Marcus Carr (5) and Gonzaga guard Nolan Hickman (11) chase a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Texas broke it open with the flurry of 3-pointers to start the second half. Hunter struck first, then Dylan Disu was left wide open for another. Hunter then made two more before converting a three-point play on a steal and layup that pushed the Texas lead to 20.

BIG PICTURE

Gonzaga: Timme & Co. shot pretty well (49% overall with nine 3-pointers) but have a turnover problem. The Bulldogs finished with 20 turnovers, one game after they gave the ball away 18 times in a tight win over Michigan State on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Longhorns turned those turnovers into 27 points. Point guard Nolan Hickman had four turnovers and two assists.

Texas: Disu was a big part of Texas’ ability to lock down Timme from the jump. At 6-foot-9, he’s the tallest Longhorn and a nagging leg injury kept him off the court for much of last season. His physical play around the rim will be key for a team that lacks overall size. He scored 12 points and hit two 3-pointers with his soft shooting touch, giving the Longhorns a critical piece on both ends of the court.

© Provided by The Associated Press Texas forward Timmy Allen (0) grabs a rebound over Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

UP NEXT

Gonzaga continues its rough early-season schedule with a home matchup against No. 4 Kentucky on Sunday.

Texas plays Northern Arizona in Edinburg, Texas on Nov. 21. ___

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© Provided by The Associated Press Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) drives to the basket against Texas forward Dylan Disu (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) © Provided by The Associated Press Gonzaga guard Nolan Hickman (11) drives to the basket against Texas forward Brock Cunningham (30) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)