The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Kansas (Semifinals)
Men's Basketball falls to Kansas in Big 12 Championship, 84-74
03.16.2008 | Men's Basketball
This may have been the best of the bunch.
Mario Chalmers had a career-high 30 points and eight of Kansas' tournament-record 15 3-pointers, helping the fifth-ranked Jayhawks beat Texas (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) 84-74 on Sunday for their third straight Big 12 title over the Longhorns.
Brandon Rush hit six 3-pointers for Kansas (31-3), which was 15-for-25 from behind the arc, breaking the tournament record of 14 set by Colorado in 1995 and matched by Missouri in 2001.
Darrell Arthur had 16 points -- three more than his two previous games combined -- and the Jayhawks had 25 assists on 26 field goals to win their sixth Big 12 title in 12 years.
Kansas has won three straight conference titles for the second time in school history and could get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Texas (28-6) made 12 3-pointers and had four players score in double figures, but it still wasn't enough to give the Longhorns their first Big 12 title in five title-game appearances.
D.J. Augustin of Texas had 20 points and hit four 3-pointers, though he scored just two points and missed all nine of his shots in the second half. A.J. Abrams scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half and Justin Mason added 17 points for Texas.
Texas-Kansas is quickly becoming one of the best matchups in college basketball, despite 700 miles and a state separating the campuses.
They have combined to win or share six of the past seven regular-season conference titles and the past three tournaments. Kansas is headed to the NCAA tournament for the 19th straight year and Texas is making its 10th consecutive trip. Both teams reached the 2003 Final Four and Kansas went the year before.
They have also played some memorable games over the past few years, perhaps none better than last year's Big 12 tournament title game, when Kansas rallied from a 22-point deficit to beat the Longhorns 88-84 in overtime.
Their only meeting this season, Feb. 11 in Austin, was another thriller, with Texas pulling out a 72-69 win over the third-ranked Jayhawks.
This one was no different, both teams racing up and down the court, trading 3-pointers and dunks.
Kansas made sure the rowdy fans didn't stay in their seats long, hitting eight of its first 10 shots, including all four 3-point attempts. Chalmers led the way, going 5-of-6 from 3-point range and finishing the first half with 17 points. Rush hit four 3-pointers for 12 points.
Texas got an early lift from Mason, a 7.0 scorer this season who hit two 3-pointers and had 10 points in the first 9 minutes.
Augustin then took over, scoring 10 points in 5 minutes, including two on an incredible fadeaway over the corner of the basket. He added a 3-pointer from the wing, finishing the first half with 18 points and making all four of his 3-point attempts.
By the time the teams were done trading blows, Kansas had made nine 3-pointers and was 17-of-29 overall, while Texas had hit eight 3-pointers and was 18-of-31, good enough for a 46-45 lead.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas had three players make the Big 12 All-Tournament Team (D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams and Damion James) for the first time in school history. Texas is now second-all time in total selections with 12.
- Texas' 30 three-pointers in the tournament are the Big 12 Championship record in three games (26, Oklahoma, 2003)
- Texas is 36-31 (.537) all-time in league tournament games, including a 15-12 (.556) mark in the Big 12 Championship.
- Texas has posted more assists than turnovers in 28 of its 34 games.
- Texas' 12 made three-pointers is a UT record in a Big 12 Tournament game (previous: 11, Missouri, 3-7-97)
- Texas had an 18-4 assist-to-turnover ratio (4.5-1). The four turnovers matched the team's season low (St. Mary's).
- D.J. Augustin and Justin Mason combined for 30 points on 11-of-18 field goal shooting, including 6-of-6 threes, and eight assists in the first half.
- Texas had four players score in double figures for the 11th time this season (10-1).
- Texas has blocked 55 shots in the past nine games (6.1 bpg).
- Went on a 14-0 run from 12:36 to 8:46 in the first half.
A.J. Abrams
- Moved into a tie for third on the UT single-season three-pointers list with 99 with B.J. Tyler (1993-94). Abrams owns the record with 120 in 2006-07.
- His 125 career points in the Big 12 Championship are the ninth highest total in tournament history
- Matched his career high with six rebounds, which he has now done on three occasions
- Scored in double figures for the 26th time this season and the 64th time in 105 career games
Connor Atchley
- Has blocked at least one shot in 14 of the last 15 games and 29 of 34 games this season
D.J. Augustin
- Moved to 19th on the UT career scoring list with 1,177 points, passing P.J. Tucker (1,169, 2004-06)
- His 31 career assists in the Big 12 Championship are the sixth highest total in tournament history
- Reached the 20-point mark for the 18th time this season and the 25th time in 69 career games
- Scored in double figures for the 31st time this season and the 56th time in his career
- Made at least four 3-pointers for the fifth time this season
- Has made at least two three-pointers in six of the last seven games
- In the last seven games, is averaging 22.4 ppg on 56-of-112 (.500) field goal shooting, including 19-of-42 (.452) three-point shooting.
- Led Texas in assists for the 29th time this season
- His nine assists were one shy of the UT single-game Big 12 tournament record (T.J. Ford vs Missouri, 2002)
- Dished out nine or more assists for the seventh time this season
Damion James
- Moved to fifth on UT's single-season rebounds list with 358, passing P.J. Tucker (353, 2005-06)
- Scored in double figures for the 23rd time this season and the 35th time in 69 career games
- Led Texas in rebounding for the 31st time this season
- Has recorded 129 rebounds in the last 12 games (10.8 rpg)
- Has made at least one three-pointer in 10 of the last 11 games
Justin Mason
- Set his postseason career high with 17 points and did so in the first half with 12
- Scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and the 21st time in 69 career games, and did so in the first half
- Has tallied 24 assists in the last five games (4.8 apg)
- Dished out at least four assists for the 10th time this season
- Has made at least one three-pointer in five of the last six games and at least two in four of the last six games
- Scored seven of Texas' first 10 points and 10 of the first 18
