AUSTIN, Texas — No. 7 Texas played without Chris Beard after the coach was suspended for a felony domestic violence arrest, and Marcus Carr scored 28 points to lead the Longhorns to an 87-81 overtime win against Rice on Monday night.
Beard was arrested early Monday morning after a woman alleged he choked and bit her. Texas announced about 90 minutes before tipoff he was suspended without pay and that assistant coach Rodney Terry would lead the team.
The statement did not commit to Terry as acting coach beyond Monday night, but he does have two previous head coaching stints at UTEP (2018-21) and Fresno State (2011-18). Terry got a round of applause in pregame when he was announced as “acting head coach” before tipoff.
Quincy Olivari scored 28 points for Rice, which missed the potential game winner in the final seconds of regulation.
Terry was animated in Beard’s absence, often standing courtside and waving his arms to pump up the crowd in a tense matchup that featured the teams trading baskets for most of the second half.
Beard is in his second season of a seven-year contract that pays him more than $5 million per year. His contract includes a provision that he could fired for cause if arrested on a felony charge.
Beard had Texas (8-2) humming in his second season. After starting 6-0, the Longhorns were No. 2, the program’s highest ranking in more than a decade.
The Longhorns started slow against against the Owls (6-4). Texas trailed at halftime and couldn’t put together the run to finish Rice in regulation.
According to the arrest affidavit, the woman told police she is his fiance and they have been in a relationship for six years. She said they had been in an argument where she broke his glasses before he “just snapped on me and became super violent.”
According to the affidavit, the woman told police “he choked me, bit me, bruises all over my leg, throwing me around and going nuts.”
BIG PICTURE
Rice: The Owls sensed a moment and nearly seized their chance at a big upset with tough rebounding and a heavy diet of backdoor layups against a bewildered Texas defense. Rice twice built 10-point leads in the first half.
Texas: Sir’Jabari Rice scored six points in overtime to help the Longhorns get the win.
UP NEXT
Rice hosts North American on Thursday night.
Texas plays Stanford in Dallas on Sunday.