AUSTIN, Texas -- Seven points in less than 60 seconds. Kenton Paulino didn't even need a minute to turn a tight game into another Big 12 rout for Texas.
The scoring burst by the senior point guard -- and 21 points and 12 rebounds by center LaMarcus Aldridge -- sent No. 6 Texas to a 78-59 victory over Nebraska on Saturday.
Paulino finished with 19 points, one shy of his career high.
"I call him a silent assassin," Aldridge said. "People always forget about him, but he always comes through for us."
Paulino said defenses usually worry about stopping Aldridge, P.J. Tucker and Daniel Gibson before worrying about him. He's sure to get more attention after going 7-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-5 on 3-pointers.
"I get out there and get lost in the game," he said, "and guys find me for open looks."
The Longhorns (21-3, 9-1) have won 13 of their last 14 games, winning nine conference games by an average margin of 19 points.
Of their six remaining regular-season opponents, only Kansas and Oklahoma have winning records in the Big 12 and both come to Austin. Texas hasn't won the conference since 1999, coach Rick Barnes' first season.
Jamel White scored 12 points for Nebraska (15-8, 5-5). And for one half, it looked like the Cornhuskers could make a game of it.
Nebraska held Tucker, the Longhorns' leading scorer, to six points. He came in with three straight double-doubles but went scoreless in the first half and spent much of the second half on the bench in foul trouble.
Marcus Perry hit three 3-pointers and the teams traded the lead seven times over the final seven minutes of the first half. The Cornhuskers shot 50 percent, including 5-of-8 on 3-pointers, against the best defensive team in the Big 12. Aldridge scored 12 points as the Longhorns took a 38-35 halftime lead.
"Give Nebraska credit. They made a lot of shots that bounced around the rim and went in," Paulino said.
Tucker scored the first basket of the second with a short hook over two defenders but picked up his third foul six seconds later and went to the bench for the next six minutes.
"They're a pretty big, physical group of guys and I think P.J. got a little frustrated," Barnes said. "I told him there's going to be nights you can't make a shot."
Paulino could hardly miss.
Three-pointers by Gibson and Paulino and two free throws by Aldridge pushed Texas' lead to 50-41. Paulino launched his 3-pointer over a defender with less than three seconds left on the shot clock.
He followed that with the scoring burst that put the game away.
Paulino drove around two Huskers for a baseline layup, then followed it with a steal and coasted in for another easy basket. After Gibson made a free throw when Nebraska coach Barry Collier was hit with a technical foul, Paulino hit a deep 3-pointer from the right wing, his fourth of the game.
The burst took about 50 seconds and gave Texas a 58-41 lead with 12 minutes left.
"He's a better basketball player than I think he thinks he is," Barnes said of Paulino. "I'm not sure he's the fifth guy. He runs the team."
Meanwhile, Aldridge kept ripping down rebounds and getting to the free throw line, where he went 9-of-13. After hitting five 3-pointers in the first half, the Huskers hit just one during Texas' game-breaking run.
Texas also outrebounded Nebraska 44-33 and grabbed 20 offensive boards.
"I thought Texas' rebounding really set the stage for them to control the game," Collier said. "Aldridge was great today."
Aldridge was just as good on defense, holding Huskers center Aleks Maric to two points after halftime. Nebraska missed 11 of its first 13 shots of the second half.
