A Dominant First Half Sets Tone
The Texas Longhorns established control early and never looked back in a 98-50 victory over the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at Moody Center on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The home team’s offensive efficiency was evident from the opening tip, as they surged to a commanding lead that allowed them to maintain a comfortable margin throughout the contest.
Texas opened the scoring with a layup by Matas Vokietaitis before Gardner-Webb answered with points from Seth Brown and Elyjah Freeman. However, the Longhorns quickly pulled away in the first quarter. David Punch was instrumental in building this early advantage, contributing a dunk, an alley-oop dunk, and two free throws to help Texas take a 54-20 lead at halftime.
The Runnin' Bulldogs managed to score 30 points in the second quarter, including three-pointers from Isaiah Johnson and Jamias Ferere, but they could not overcome the deficit established by Texas’s dominant first-half performance.
Second Half Continues Control
Texas maintained its intensity in the second half, extending its lead further as the game progressed. The Longhorns outscored Gardner-Webb 44-30 in the final period. Key contributions came from Austin Goosby, who added crucial scoring drives and free throws, while Joe Sterling hit multiple three-pointers to keep pressure on the defense.
Gardner-Webb attempted to rally late in the game with a flurry of points from their bench, including three-pointers from Jackson Skipper and DJ Daniel. Coleman Elkins also made an impact down low with two dunks. Despite these efforts, the Runnin' Bulldogs fell short, unable to close the gap against a Texas team that controlled the tempo for nearly 40 minutes.
