Pope's career-high 42 points help Texas beat New Orleans

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Jordan Pope made 8 of 12 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 42 points — a Moody Center record and tied for the second most in a Division I men's basketball game this season — on Thursday night to help Texas beat New Orleans 98-62.

Arthur Kaluma had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Texas (10-2), and Chendall Weaver scored 12.

Marcus Carr set the previous Moody Center record with 41 points in December of 2022. Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 49 points, the most in a D-I game this season, on Nov. 6. Pope’s previous scoring high was 31.

Dae Dae Hunter led New Orleans (2-8) with 16 points, Jah Short scored 15 and James White added 14 with eight rebounds. MJ Thomas added 11 points and nine boards.

The Privateers have lost four games in a row and six of their last seven.

Kaluma made a layup, a 3-pointer and converted a traditional three-point play in the first 3 1/2 minutes to help the Longhorns jump to a 16-0 lead when Devon Pryor hit two free throws with 13:39 left and Texas never trailed. The Privateers twice trimmed their deficit to six points from there, but got no closer.

Pope, a transfer from Oregon State who led the Beavers in scoring (17.6 per game) and assists (3.4) last season, scored 12 points and Kaluma added five in a 19-3 spurt that gave the Longhorns a 22-point lead with 1:51 left in the first half and Texas led by double figures the rest of the way.

Texas is 2-2 all-time against UNO, which registered a 74-56 victory over the Longhorns in New Orleans on Dec. 11, 1982 and then beat Texas in Austin, Texas, 64-58 on Nov. 30, 1983.

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