The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
Men's Basketball shuts down Baylor, 74-69, in Big 12 Championship quarterfinals
03.09.2007 | Men's Basketball
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Kevin Durant rebounded from a dismal first half to score 29 points and grab 13 rebounds, and No. 15 Texas rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat Baylor 74-69 on Friday night in the Big 12 Conference quarterfinals.
Seldom-used Craig Winder scored eight points, including a basket with 1:56 left that put the Longhorns ahead for the first time since the opening minutes, and D.J. Augustin hit a basket and two free throws in the final 18.5 seconds.
Third-seeded Texas (23-8) advanced to play seventh-seeded Oklahoma State in the semifinals Saturday. The Longhorns and Cowboys split a pair of games earlier this season, including a triple-overtime classic won by Oklahoma State.
Texas extended its winning streak against Baylor (15-16) to 20 games, a run that dates to 1988, but not without a major scare from the Bears, who lost three times to Texas this season by a combined total of 11 points.
Baylor rode a sizzling first-half shooting performance to an 18-point halftime lead, a margin the Bears stretched to 20 with 17 minutes left.
Durant, who missed his first 12 shots and had just five first-half points, fueled the Longhorns' comeback, setting a school record for points in a half in a Big 12 game.
Durant just missed the Big 12 record for points in a half of 26.
Baylor has lost 27 straight games against ranked foes.
Texas led 2-0 but then watched Baylor sprint away as the Bears -- who had shot 63 percent from the field in a first-round win over Missouri -- built an 18-point lead in the first 12 minutes. Even as Baylor built its lead, Texas coach Rick Barnes didn't call a timeout, perhaps hoping that the Bears would cool off.
It didn't happen, at least in the first half. The Bears were shooting 67 percent from the field at one point before finishing the half at 53.3 percent. Baylor went 7-of-14 from 3-point range in the half.
Conversely, Durant, the Big 12 player of the year, struggled, missing his first 12 shots before scoring his first basket on a putback in the final minute of the half.
Baylor led 48-28 with 17 minutes left, but the Bears cooled off considerably, shooting 24.1 percent from the field after halftime and going only 1-for-7 on 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Texas improved from 22.9 percent in the first half to 53.3 percent.
Winder, who hadn't scored in the Longhorns' last three games and entered the tournament averaging 1.6 points per game, had a steal and layup that tied the game at 65-65 with 3:09 left.
Mamadou Diene -- who had career highs in points (14) and rebounds (12) -- gave Baylor its final lead by making 1-of-2 free throws with 2:13 left. Winder answered with a putback at 1:56 to put the Longhorns ahead 67-66.
Texas' lead was 70-66 before Curtis Jerrells -- who led Baylor with 19 points -- hit three free throws to bring Baylor within one point with 45.9 seconds left.
Augustin's basket with 18.5 seconds left extended the Longhorns' lead to 72-69, and Baylor's Aaron Bruce missed a 3-pointer at the other end. Durant rebounded and Augustin hit two free throws with 8.4 seconds left.
A.J. Abrams added 16 points for Texas, while Damion James had eight points and 11 rebounds.
POSTGAME NOTES
Team
- Texas is 7-1 in Big 12 Championship quarterfinal action in the Rick Barnes era.
- Texas has reached at least the semifinals in eight of their first 11 appearances in the Big 12 Championship.
- Texas is 33-29 (.532) all-time in league tournament games, including 12-10 (.545) in 11 Big 12 Championship appearances.
- Texas has won 20 straight and 45 of the last 52 meetings against Baylor dating back to the 1982-83 season.
- Texas is 75-7 (.915) against in-state foes during the Rick Barnes era.
- Texas' 20-point comeback victory was its largest of the season (11 vs. St. John's) and a Big 12 Championship record.
- The 20-point comeback was the largest of the Barnes era. The old mark was a 15-point deficit (58-43, second half) overcome in a 76-71 win at No. 5 Oklahoma on March 8, 2003.
- Texas had a player score at least 20 points for the 30th time in 31 games this season.
- Texas has made at least one 3-pointer in 541 consecutive games.
- The 18-point halftime deficit was Texas' largest this season (10 vs. Gonzaga, 43-33), and 21-point
A.J. Abrams
- Abrams has scored in double figures in 25-of-31 games this season. He has reached 15 points in 17 of those games.
- Abrams has made at least one 3-pointer in 34 consecutive games dating to last season.
Kevin Durant
- With 29 points, Durant now has 783 for the season, which is a new UT single-season record. He passed Travis Mays (772, 1989-90). He also stands second on the Big 12 single-season list (844, Marcus Fizer, Iowa State, 1999-00).
- Durant's 24 second-half points set a school record for most points scored in a Big 12 game in the second half (previous was 22 by Daniel Gibson in the second half at Baylor on Jan. 21, 2006).
- With 24 second-half points, Kevin Durant has now set the UT record for both points in a second half and points in a first half in a Big 12 game, and he did so in consecutive games. He set the first-half record with 25 points against Kansas on March 3. The overall Big 12 record for points in a half is 26 by Bernard King of Texas A&M vs. Lamar on Dec. 18, 2000.
- Durant's 29 points are a UT record for points in a game in the Big 12 Championship. The previous was 28 by Kris Clack vs. Texas Tech on March 5, 1998).
- Durant's 11 free throws made are a UT record in a game in the Big 12 Championship. The previous was 10 by both Chris Mihm and Gabe Muoneke vs. Oklahoma on March 11, 2000.
- Durant's 24 field goal attempts are a UT record in a game in the Big 12 Championship. The previous was 21 on two occasions.
- Durant has recorded at least two blocks in four consecutive games.
- Durant has blocked at least three shots in 10 games this season.
- Durant topped the 20-point mark for the 26th time this season and has reached double figures in all 31 contests.
- Durant registered his 19th double-double of the season, which ties him for fourth on the UT single-season double-double list.
- Durant has reached at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in 18-of-31 games.
- Durant has made at least one 3-pointer in 26-of-31 games this season.
- Durant's four steals tied a UT record for a game in the Big 12 Championship. The record is shared with T.J. Ford (vs. Missouri, March 8, 2002) and Freddie Williams (vs. Oklahoma State, March 9, 2001).
Damion James
- James recorded his ninth double-figure rebound performance of the season.
- James has collected at least seven rebounds in 17-of-31 games this season.
- James has recorded at least one block in 11 consecutive games has a total of 19 blocks in those games.
Craig Winder
- Winder's eight points are a career high in Big 12 play. His overall career high is 10 points.
- Winder's three steals matched his career high, which he has now reached six times.
