AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas guard Marcus Carr scored a season-high 28 points to lead the No. 7 Longhorns to an 87-81 overtime win over Rice on Monday at Moody Center.
The win comes after head coach Chris Beard was suspended without pay until further notice by the university following his arrest early Monday morning. Beard faces a third-degree felony domestic violence charge and posted a $10,000 bond to be released from Travis County Jail.
Associate head coach Rodney Terry takes the court against Rice stepping in for the suspended head coach Chris Beard before an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Texas guard Marcus Carr battles for the ball with Rice guard Travis Evee during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Rice forward Max Fiedler, left, looks to drive around Texas forward Dylan Disu (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Rice guard Quincy Olivari (4) looks around Texas guard Sir’Jabari Rice (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Texas associate head coach Rodney Terry speaks to his team as they compete against Rice during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Rice guard Travis Evee (3) goes to the basket past Texas guard Tyrese Hunter (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Associate head coach Rodney Terry takes the court against Rice stepping in for the suspended head coach Chris Beard before an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Rice guard Mekhi Mason (2) looks past Texas forward Timmy Allen during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Rice guard Alem Huseinovic (23) shoots over Texas guard Marcus Carr (5) during an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman) 
Rice guard Mekhi Mason, front left, Texas forward Timmy Allen, Rice guard Cameron Sheffield, second from right, and Texas guard Marcus Carr, right, watch the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
Associate head coach Rodney Terry was elevated to head coach for the game. In the postgame press conference, he called Monday, “a very difficult day for our program.”
Terry said UT athletic director Chris Del Conte told him during the team’s scheduled shootaround that he would be the acting head coach for Monday’s game. Terry said he didn’t know how long he would continue in that role. Texas (8-1) plays again on Dec. 18 against Stanford at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
“Once we got the news, our focus was with our players and about our program,” Terry said. “Our whole mission today was to control what we could control.”
Terry said he didn’t hear from Beard before the game but said he “loves Beard like his own brother.”
“This is a unique situation, and you’re going to have a lot of different things fall your way with what you have to deal with,” Terry said. “You’re not preparing for anything like this, but I thought our guys persevered through a tough situation.”
He said the team dealt with this “pretty much all day,” but there was no discussion about canceling the game.
When Terry was hired last season, he came from a head coaching background over the past 10 years. He was the head coach at UTEP from 2018-21 and Fresno State from 2011-18, and he was an assistant coach for the Longhorns under former head coach Rick Barnes from 2002-11. He said previous discussions with Beard centered around the two being co-head coaches — Beard working with the offense and Terry with the defense — so he’s “heavily involved” in game planning. He said having the title of head coach didn’t change his preparation.
“We’ve been a good team together,” Terry said of him and Beard.
As for action on the floor, the Longhorns shot 50% from the field and didn’t trail in the extra frame. Texas outscored the Owls 15-9 in overtime and withstood Quincy Olivari’s tremendous game. He poured in 28 points on 9-of-20 shooting for the Owls.
Terry said the team “earned a day off,” after having just a day to prepare for the Owls (6-3). Texas fell five spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll following last week’s loss to Illinois. Texas beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 88-43 at home on Saturday.
