Texas Basketball Dominates FDU: Tramon Mark, Matas Vokietaitis Lead Longhorns to Second Win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Texas entered Wednesday aiming to build on its early identity of balance, rebounding and interior toughness. Behind Tramon Mark’s scoring surge and a flawless performance from sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis, the Longhorns delivered all of it in a 93–58 win over Fairleigh Dickinson at the Moody Center in Austin.
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Vokietaitis, who has steadily emerged as the anchor of Sean Miller’s frontcourt, played the most complete game of his young career. The 7-footer finished with 19 points on 8-for-8 shooting, grabbed six rebounds and did not commit a turnover. Every touch looked in rhythm, every finish came with confidence, and his presence clearly tilted the game in Texas’ favor. Through three games, he has now scored in double figures each time and is establishing himself as the Longhorns’ most efficient interior scorer.
Texas (2–1) needed him early. Fairleigh Dickinson stunned the home crowd with a 10–2 start, hitting shots in transition while Texas opened the night cold. Once Vokietaitis settled in and the Longhorns began stringing together stops, the game flipped. A 12–0 run erased the deficit, and an extended 26–5 stretch carried Texas to a 43–24 halftime lead.
From there, the Longhorns controlled every phase.
Mark continued his climb after a slow opener at Duke. The senior guard attacked space, knocked down mid-range jumpers and finished with 20 points on an efficient 9-for-13 shooting line. He was perfect inside the arc and added steady perimeter defense throughout his 28 minutes on the floor.
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Jordan Pope and Dailyn Swain added 11 points each, helping Texas’ starting five account for 69 of the team’s 93 points. Pope found his rhythm with a burst of scoring to open the second half, while Swain chipped in six rebounds, a steal and a block.
Rebounding once again became a major separator. Coming off a plus-18 margin against Lafayette, Texas outrebounded FDU 54–35, including 16 offensive boards that consistently created second-chance scoring opportunities. Lassina Traore contributed 10 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, continuing Texas’ theme of depth and size in the paint.
Fairleigh Dickinson (0–3) received 14 points from Cyril Martynov and 12 from Eric Parnell, who hit four threes. The Knights shot only 31.3 percent from the field and were held to 20 points in the paint. Their early eight-point lead was their largest of the night, while Texas’ grew to as many as 38.
Texas also dominated in transition, scoring 22 fast-break points while allowing only three. Even with both teams committing just nine turnovers, the Longhorns consistently turned defensive stops into early offense. Their interior scoring advantage, 50–20, illustrated how thoroughly they controlled the game on both ends.
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Free throws and perimeter shooting remained areas for improvement. Texas shot 19-for-34 at the line and 6-for-23 from deep. Those issues did little to affect the outcome Wednesday, but they will remain early-season focal points as the competition level rises.
Still, the defining image of the night was Vokietaitis’ quiet dominance. He played with poise, efficiency and control, turning every post touch into a productive possession and giving Texas an anchor it can trust as Miller continues shaping his rotation.
Texas has now won its last two games by a combined 72 points after dropping its opener at Duke. With Vokietaitis emerging, Mark finding consistent footing and Swain and Pope steadying the top of the lineup, the Longhorns are beginning to show a clearer picture of who they can be.
Texas hosts Kansas City on Saturday at noon on SEC Network.
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