The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Penn
Men's Basketball escapes with 60-52 win over Penn in NCAA First Round game
03.17.2006 | Men's Basketball
DALLAS (AP) -- With LaMarcus Aldridge and P.J. Tucker in the lineup, the Texas Longhorns were supposed to have an easier time in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Unlike last year when they were without Aldridge and Tucker, the second-seeded Longhorns advanced this time because of the standout duo. But Penn sure made things difficult before Texas finally pulled out a 60-52 victory Friday night.
"P.J. said it best, seeds mean nothing. You got a team today that was going to shorten the game," Longhorns coach Rick Barnes said. "I'm glad we get to play one more time. ... If we made mistakes, they had a lot to do with it."
Aldridge and Tucker bailed out the Longhorns (28-6) without much help, including the Texas guards being held scoreless before halftime when Penn led.
In his first NCAA tourney game, Aldridge had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tucker, the Big 12 Conference player of the year, added 17 points and 12 rebounds.
"We weren't getting any movement," guard Daniel Gibson said. "They do a good job packing the middle and stopping things inside. Once we got moving, it was a lot easier to get baskets."
The Ivy League champion Quakers (20-9) were only down a point and had the ball when coach Fran Dunphy called timeout with 5:53 left.
But Eric Osmundson then missed a 3-pointer, Tucker grabbed the rebound, and Gibson drove for the first of consecutive layups -- with Brad Buckman's blocked shot rebounded by Aldridge in between -- to put Texas up 45-40.
"Defensively, we were about as good as we can be," Dunphy said. "When the separation occurred, we did things that were out of character for us. We had three open looks we didn't make. We had to have those to beat a team like Texas."
The Longhorns will play North Carolina State in the second round of the Atlanta Regional on Sunday in Dallas.
Four years ago, Texas advanced to the round of 16 as a No. 6 seed after winning its first two games in the same arena. The following season, the Horns used a weekend in San Antonio as a springboard to the Final Four.
Aldridge was recovering from a hip injury and Tucker was academically ineligible last March when the Longhorns lost to Nevada, only their fourth first-round loss in 15 NCAA trips since the tourney field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Undersized Penn seemed intent on making it two first-round losses in a row for the Longhorns. The Quakers were unfazed by the crowd filled with burnt orange shirts, and were often deliberate with their shots.
"We were able to control the tempo and get the shots we wanted," said Mark Zoller, who had 13 points for Penn. "It came down to them making big plays. Those guys are relentless."
Still, Penn gave its own contingency of only a couple hundred fans so much to cheer about early that they even drowned out the Texas pep band during one timeout. The Longhorns faithful were quietly concerned.
Ibrahim Jaaber, the Ivy League's player of the year and top scorer, was only 5-of-19 shooting for 15 points.
Jaaber made only two of nine shots before halftime, but his free throw with 6 seconds left gave the Quakers a 23-22 lead.
Gibson was the first Texas guard to score, hitting a 3-pointer to open the second half before David Whitehurst scored a tying basket inside -- all in the first minute. The Longhorns finally broke the 25-all tie, and went ahead for good on Aldridge's breakaway layup with 16:37 left after Tucker rebounded a Penn miss.
The Texas fans came to life, though they were cautiously enthusiastic until the consecutive layups by Gibson.
"I don't know what you guys expect. This is the NCAA tournament," Barnes told a reporter who asked the coach if he was relieved or disappointed. "If you think there are going to be blowouts, they're not."
The Quakers, whose last NCAA win came 12 years ago, finished 17-of-53 shooting (32 percent). They were 10-of-27 on 3-pointers, and only 7-of-26 inside the arc where Aldridge, Tucker and Buckman clogged up things.
Penn was 7-of-25 before halftime -- hitting six of 14 3-pointers.
Aldridge, who had 20 points and 16 rebounds in his Big 12 tournament debut in this arena last weekend, got off to a quick start Friday night. He had eight points in the first 9 minutes, and Texas led 9-8 because of Tucker's free throw.
After Texas went up 13-8, Zoller hit the first of his three 3-pointers before halftime with 8 minutes left. His last with just over a minute remaining put Penn up 22-20 before Tucker penetrated for a layup.
TEXAS POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Rick Barnes on tonight's win: This is the NCAA Tournament; anyone who thinks there are going to be blowouts is wrong. Seeds mean nothing this time of year. Penn did a great job and we need to give them credit. They took time off the clock early and put pressure on our shots. You never expect to play a perfect game; I am just glad we are getting a chance to play again on Sunday.
Barnes on Texas' play: We did a better job in the second half of taking care of the ball. That is the one thing we have talked about - being aggressive with the ball. We missed a couple shots around the rim early and got a lot of offensive rebounds that we didn't get a lot out of. But over the course of the game, it turned out a lot like I expected it.
Barnes on the Pennsylvania Quakers: They were a very smart team. Smart teams don't leave what they have done all year; they continue to do what works. They shot the ball pretty well tonight. I thought their players executed well and I give them credit for that.
Sophomore guard Daniel Gibson on the difference in the second half: Coach talked to us about getting movement on the offensive end, going out there and playing basketball and having fun. He said it didn't look like we were having fun. We just came out with a lot of energy and just played basketball.
Gibson on Penn's defense: We weren't getting a lot of movement. A lot of things were stagnated. They do a great job of packing the middle and stopping a lot of the drives to the inside. Once we got moving it was a lot easier for us to get baskets.
Gibson on the importance of the game and his two late baskets: It's that time of year, you can't hold anything back. The coaches told me to go out there and be smart. I thought those drives were smart drives. I was under control and my teammates put me in good position. It's all about leaving it out there on the court. These are the games that you live for. I was just out there playing basketball.
Junior forward PJ Tucker on playing against an Ivy League team: Those teams are going to come in and play hard. They're going to play the whole forty minutes of the game and never give up. They come in with the expectation of winning and they try their hardest to win. You have to have that same kind of mindset when you come in playing them.
PENN POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Fran Dunphy on tonight's loss: You are more concerned about three particular seniors and how much effort into their basketball careers, so you feel for them. I'm proud of their efforts, they've worked hard, played hard, played against a very hard basketball team and did a great job.
Head Coach Fran Dunphy on one point with six minutes left in the game: That's the hope, that you have a chance at the end of the game is a close one and at the end of the game you can make a play.
Head Coach Fran Dunphy on loss in first round being a boost for the program: I think that our program is very reputable; it gets a lot of respect, especially from our peers - at times we get that response from them.
Junior Forward Steve Danley on defending LeMarcus Aldridge: He had some very good skills. I think as the game went on, we did a better job on him. He had an offensive board that was really a killer put back. He's got all the upside in the world.
