The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball preview: New Mexico State
11.20.2007 | Men's Basketball
#15/16 TEXAS (3-0) vs. New Mexico State (2-2)
StubHub! Legends Classic Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 23, 2007 - 6 p.m. Central
The Prudential Center (18,000) - Newark, N.J.
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by Versus. Rich Ackerman (pxp) and Jim O'Brien (color) will call the action.
RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network. Dave Jageler
(pxp) and Eddie Oran (color) will call the action. Check for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
SERIES: Texas leads, 2-1.
LAST MEETING: Texas 79-67 (March 16, 2007; Spokane, Wash.)
StubHub! Legends Classic
This marks the first year of the StubHub! Legends Classic. New Mexico State, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia served as regional host sites and automatically advanced to the Championship Rounds. The 2007 StubHub! Legends Classic will honor a distinguished member from each of the Championship Round schools who has made a significant contribution to college basketball:
2007 StubHub! Legends of the Game
Lou Henson, New Mexico State
Bernard King, Tennessee
Slater Martin, Texas
Jerry West, West Virginia
Semifinals & Championship Schedule (All times Central)
Friday, Nov. 23
Texas vs. New Mexico State, 6 p.m. (VERSUS)
West Virginia vs. Tennessee, 8 p.m. (VERSUS)
Saturday, Nov. 24
Consolation Game, 3:30 p.m.
Championship Game, 6 p.m. (VERSUS)
Series vs. New Mexico State
Friday's contest marks the fourth meeting between the Horns and the Aggies. UT holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. In the first matchup between the two schools, New Mexico State recorded a 77-61 victory in Las Cruces on Dec. 29, 1979. The Horns tallied a 101-82 win in Austin on Dec. 4, 1981. UT then posted a 79-67 victory in Spokane, Wash. in a NCAA Tournament First Round contest last year (March 16, 2007).
Texas vs. New Mexico State Flashback
March 16, 2007 (Spokane, Wash.): Kevin Durant tallied a game-high 27 points and eight rebounds, and Texas used an excellent team effort at the free throw line (25-of-26) en route to a 79-67 win in a NCAA First Round contest. UT's 96.2% free throw accuracy marked a school single-game record for a NCAA Tournament game and was the third-best team performance in a NCAA First and Second Round game (min. 15 attempts). After the Aggies jumped out to a 4-0 lead, the Horns used an A.J. Abrams three-pointer and a Durant layup to take a 5-4 advantage with 16:30 remaining. A back-and-forth first half featured seven lead changes and seven ties. With the score tied at 19-19 at the 8:38 mark, New Mexico State used a Martin Iti dunk and a Fred Peete three to build a 24-19 cushion with 7:53 left. Following a Durant layup, Ted Knauber hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 27-21 at the 4:19 mark.
Texas answered with a D.J. Augustin three and closed the half on a 12-3 run to take a 33-30 advantage into the break. After a Tyrone Nelson jumper cut the gap to 35-33 at the 18:28 mark, the Horns responded with a Durant free throw, an Augustin layup, a Connor Atchley putback, two Abrams' free throws, an Atchley three-pointer and a Craig Winder layup to build a 47-33 cushion with 14:43 left. The Aggies answered with back-to-back threes from Elijah Ingram to trim the margin to 47-39 at the 14:10 mark. Trailing 53-43 after a Justin Mason dunk with 12:56 left, New Mexico State used a 9-0 spurt over the next two minutes to cut the gap to 53-52 after a Hatila Passos putback at the 10:28 mark.
Following a Durant jumper that gave Texas a 57-54 edge with 8:17 remaining, the Aggies used a Passos dunk, two free throws from Jonathan Gibson and a pair of free throws from Passos to take a 60-57 lead at the 6:39 mark. Texas answered with a pair of free throws each from Augustin and Durant to take a 61-60 advantage with 5:55 left. New Mexico State responded with another Passos dunk to grab a 62-61 edge a the 5:47 mark. Abrams answered with a jumper that gave the Horns a 63-62 lead with 5:22 left, and Texas never trailed again. UT closed the game on an 18-5 run over the final 5:22. During the stretch, the Horns converted 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Texas also tightened up on the defensive end, as New Mexico State hit just 1-of-8 from the floor in the final five minutes and committed three turnovers.
UT hit its final 20 free throws of the contest, all coming in the last 15:51. Durant was joined in double-figure scoring by Augustin (19 points, seven assists) and Abrams (16 points). Atchley also added seven points, six boards (four offensive) and three blocks in 28 minutes off the bench. Ingram paced the Aggies with 16 points (4-of-11 threes), while Passos (15 points, eight boards) and Justin Hawkins (11 points) also reached double digits in scoring.
Texas/Arkansas-Monticello Game Notes
- Texas improved to 3-0 to start the year for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
- The Horns improved to 92-9 all-time when reaching the 100-point plateau.
- The 11 points scored by Arkansas-Monticello in the first half marked a UT record for fewest points allowed in a first half (since 1949-50). The previous mark was 12 vs. Centenary on Dec. 22, 2004 and at TCU on Jan. 5, 1978.
- Texas limited UAM to 9.1% FG shooting in the first half. This marked a UT record for lowest FG percentage allowed in a half (since 1965-66). The previous mark was 15.0% (3-of-20) vs. UNC Asheville on Dec. 28, 2000 (2nd half).
- Texas held UAM to three field goals made in the first half. This tied the UT record for fewest field goals allowed in a half (since 1965-66). It equaled the mark set vs. UNC Asheville (2nd half) on Dec. 28, 2000 and vs.Baylor (1st half) on Jan. 11, 1986.
- A.J. Abrams set a career high with 30 points (previous high was 28 vs.Chicago State on Nov. 10, 2006). He topped the 20-point mark for the second straight game and 11th time in his career (75 games). He reached double digits in scoring for the 41st time in his career. Abrams also extended his consecutive games streak with a made 3-pointer to 41.
- A.J. Abrams tied his career high in 3-pointers made (8-of-12). He previously converted eight 3-pointers vs. Chicago State on Nov. 10, 2006. Abrams also set a career high in field goals made (11-of-17). His previous high had been nine (set twice before).
- A.J. Abrams tied the UT record for most 3-point field goals made in a half. It marked the sixth time a UT player had hit six 3-pointers in a half, and Abrams is now responsible for three of those efforts.
- Damion James (16 points) reached double figures in points for the 13th time in his career (38 games).
- Connor Atchley (11 points) reached double digits in points for the second straight game and fifth time in his career (67 games). It marked the first time in his career that Atchley has recorded back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts. He also tied his career high in field goals made (5-of-10).
A Check of the Polls
Texas is ranked No. 15 in the latest Associated Press poll (Nov. 19) and No. 16 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll (Nov. 19). UT was tabbed No. 15 in the AP preseason poll and No. 16 in the Coaches' preseason rankings. This marks the sixth consecutive year and 10th time in the last 12 seasons that UT has been ranked in the AP preseason poll. It also marks the seventh consecutive year that UT has been ranked in the coaches' preseason poll. During the Barnes era, the Horns have spent 111 weeks in the AP Top 25, including 41 in the Top 10.