For Texas basketball big man Matas Vokietaitis. Monday’s career night proved extra special considering who joined the crowd at Moody Center.

Playing in front of father Algirdas Vokietaitis and mother Neringa Vokietaitiene just before their return to his native Lithuania, center Matas Vokietaitis scored a career-high 28 points while powering Texas to a 95-69 win over Southern. Vokietaitis, who wears No. 8 in honor of his father’s July 8 birthday, went 7-of-10 from the floor and 14-of-14 from the foul line while shattering his previous career-high of 21 points, which he set last season while playing for Florida Atlantic.

“It always motivates me when they see me play,” said the soft-spoken 7-footer, who entered the game averaging 14.6 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds a game.

Guard Simeon Wilcher, who chipped in 14 points for Texas (7-3), said the work Vokietaitis puts in during practice paid off against Southern, especially at the foul line. Vokietaitis entered the game shooting just 62.1% from the foul line for the season, but he tied a school record previously held by Sheldon McClellan for most free throws made in a game without a miss.

“Well, this is nothing surprising to see from Matas,” Wilcher said. “The work he puts in every day, it’s really hard to guard him in the paint, so we’ve got to get him the ball.”

And the physical Vokietaitis likes the contact anyway.

“When they foul me, I’m happy because I can help the team win,” he said.

Texas coach Sean Miller said he was particularly excited for Vokietaitis’s big game after the team fell flat in last week’s 88-69 loss to Virginia, which was the first time that Algirdas Vokietaitis and Neringa Vokietaitiene had seen their son play in the U.S.

“I was thrilled that they were able to see Matas have a great performance tonight,” he said. “I think Matas really wanted to play well (against Virginia). I mean, if I was playing college basketball in Lithuania, and I’m from America and my family comes over the first time to watch me play, I’d want to play really well in that game. That may have worked against him a little bit (against Virginia), (so) I’m so happy for him that he played well tonight, and happy for them that they were able to see him play well and see our team win.”

The competition stiffens for Vokietaitis and the Longhorns Friday when they visit No. 5 Connecticut.