The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Kansas State
Gibson's 14 points in overtime help Men's Basketball defeat Kansas State
02.12.2005 | Men's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Daniel Gibson scored 14 points in overtime, and Texas (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, No. 23 AP) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 75-72 victory over Kansas State on Saturday, a win the Longhorns desperately needed to turn around their sinking season.
Gibson, who finished with 23 points, scored Texas' first eight in the overtime and finished it by hitting six straight free throws in the final minute.
Brad Buckman had 17 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double in as many games, and Sydmill Harris shook off a nagging groin injury to score 17 points for Texas (16-7, 5-5 Big 12).
Harris hit five 3-pointers, one when he was falling down in the left corner late in the second half, and another in overtime.
Fred Peete score 28 points to lead Kansas State (13-8, 3-7), most of them coming on 7-of-14 shooting from 3-point range.
The win was a huge boost for the Longhorns, who are pushing to finish at least 8-8 in conference play to bolster their chances of making the NCAA tournament after academic problems and injuries wreaked havoc with their lineup.
Texas had lost four of its last five games and the win kept the Longhorns from their first four-game losing streak since the start of the 1998-99 season.
The Longhorns lost their last overtime game, 92-80 to Iowa State, when they couldn't put the game away in the final minutes. It looked like that might happen again as the Wildcats rallied from a 33-22 halftime deficit.
Gibson missed two free throws with 26 seconds left in regulation that would have given Texas a 59-55 lead. Kansas State sent it to overtime when Jeremiah Massey was fouled and made two free throws with 6.5 seconds left.
Massey's layup to start the overtime gave Kansas State its first lead, 59-57. After Gibson hit a 3-pointer, Massey hit his first 3 of the season on the other end. It was the last time the Wildcats held the lead.
Gibson hit a driving layup and he and Harris hit consecutive 3-pointers that opened a six-point lead before Gibson eventually sealed the game from the free throw line.
Postgame quotes
Texas Head Coach, Rick Barnes
ON DANIEL GIBSON: e was not pleased with the way he played in Colorado. I thought he was terrific in the first half tonight and had no turnovers. In overtime, he played with heart and was willing to rise up and make plays. I would have preferred for him to make both free-throws in regulation, but he came back in overtime.
ON SYDMILL HARRIS: He was terrific. He leads by example. Defensively, he was outstanding.
ON THE WIN: It was an important win. We made it a little harder than it needed to be. All games are going to be hard, but we have to keep playing every possession. There is room for improvement. I tell the guys that we will do what we have to do. Go from game to game and make sure everybody is ready.
Daniel Gibson, Freshman Guard
ON THE END OF THE GAME: After I missed the two free throws, I got down on myself. But my teammates did not get down on me. We knew the overtime was a different game. At that point, we just went all out and played our best. I thought we really took care of business.
Brad Buckman, Junior Forward
ON SYDMILL HARRIS: He knocked down some big three-pointers tonight and that got us very excited. He has been battling some injuries so we are proud of him. Syd has played hard all year; his defense is amazing. When Coach Barnes sees an opposing player who is playing well, he has Sydmill guard him. Coach knows he'll get the job done.
ON THE WIN: This win was huge for us. It really brings us some momentum after our three losses. Defensively, we played very well. Offensively we were great; we really played with aggression. This game was a 'must-win.' It is a big turning point because we worked together and made a pact to play as a team and win.
Sydmill Harris, Senior Guard
ON HIS THREE FROM THE CORNER AS THE SHOT CLOCK WAS WINDING DOWN: It was pure luck. I grabbed the ball as it rolled towards me. I couldn't even see the rim. I think we deserve the good luck.
ON HOW HE HAS BEEN PLAYING: I have to step up. This is my last year and I felt like this game was important. I have never lost three games in a row in my career. I am the same player but with a different role. I just have to keep playing hard on both ends.
Kansas State head coach, Jim Wooldridge
ON THE GAME: Both teams played basically with six guys. I am sure fatigue started to set in. The game was really physical in the paint. The fouls impacted the personnel decisions we had to make. Gibson looks like a great player to me. We used the zone in the second half to try and slow him down, but he made all the plays in overtime. Texas doesn't look vulnerable right now, they look pretty good to me.
ON KANSAS STATE'S PLAY: I think we played well with a lot of energy. This week we have played with a lot of confidence. The team believes we can win and they have been resilient.
Lance Harris, Sophomore Guard
ON THE GAME: We wanted to come out and play our game. Fred was making shots and we needed other players to step up. I wanted to give energy off the bench. We really needed a W. It is hard to win in the Big 12, especially on the road. We want to keep our heads up and win the next game.
Fred Peete, Sophomore Guard
ON OVERTIME: We were very confident going into overtime. Once we tied the game up, we knew we had a chance. But, the game did not turn out the way we would have liked. Texas just capitalized on our mistakes. They out-rebounded us. Texas is a great ball club.
