The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Miami (Fla.) (Second Round)
Abrams shoots Men's Basketball to 75-72 win over Miami (Fla.)
03.23.2008 | Men's Basketball
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- After 75 minutes of smooth shooting, poised ball-handling and a quiet crowd of Longhorn-haters in Arkansas, Texas nearly let its entire season slip away.
A.J. Abrams made two free throws with 9.5 seconds remaining, giving the second-seeded Longhorns just enough margin to hold off seventh-seeded Miami 75-72 in the second round of the South Regional on Sunday. Texas led by as many as 17 and was ahead 66-50 with 4:15 remaining before a dramatic rally by the Hurricanes.
"We won so I'm really not sweating it anymore," said the Longhorns' Damion James, who missed a pair of free throws in the final half-minute. "Just go back to practice and shoot free throws and hope to get better."
Texas (30-6) led 74-69 after Abrams' final free throws, but the Longhorns weren't quite safe yet. Miami's Raymond Hicks made a 3-pointer, and D.J. Augustin then shot an air ball on his first of two free throws with 1.8 seconds to play.
"I shot it a little short," Augustin said.
The timing couldn't have been worse. Arkansas fans, putting it mildly, do not care for Texas. They'd booed the Longhorns before each of their two games at Alltel Arena, but had to quiet down as Texas played beautifully against Austin Peay in the first round and then for most of the Miami game.
In the final minutes Sunday, it was loud again.
"Everyone was against us, it seemed," James said.
Augustin made his second free throw at the end, and Miami's long pass was broken up. Texas advances to the regional semifinals to play third-seeded Stanford on Friday.
That game will be in Houston in what will surely be a more friendly environment.
Abrams scored 26 points on six 3-pointers for the second consecutive game. The Longhorns went 13-of-26 from 3-point range, including 9-for-16 in the first half. They nearly made up for that by going 12-of-21 on free throws.
"Thankful we won the game," Abrams said. "We did not finish like we wanted to in the last couple of minutes."
James added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Longhorns, and Augustin contributed 12 points and eight assists.
Miami coach Frank Haith was an assistant at Texas for three years under Rick Barnes before taking over the Hurricanes in 2004. He and Barnes shared a hug and chatted briefly near the Miami bench about 15 minutes before the opening tip. Barnes has Texas in the round of 16 for the fifth time in seven years, and the Longhorns have tied the school record for wins set two seasons ago.
But it didn't come easy.
"Let's give Miami a lot of credit for a lot of heart, a lot of grit, a lot of determination, the way they fought," Barnes said. "I knew that would happen because you all know my relationship with Frank and I know what he's all about and his team."
Haith recruited Abrams while at Texas -- and paid a price for that Sunday. Abrams finished the first half with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
"He's got a tremendous motor," Haith said. "He keeps working, and he's got a great release."
Abrams' second 3-pointer gave Texas an early 19-8 lead. For much of the first half, he set up on offense near the left sideline, right in front of Haith and the Miami bench.
Less than nine minutes in, five different Texas players had made 3s, every Longhorn that had played except 6-foot-10, 299-pound Dexter Pittman. Texas led by as many as 14 in the first half and was ahead 43-32 at intermission. Abrams scored his team's final eight points of the half.
"All five guys can shoot 3s," Haith said. "That's hard to guard when they're making them."
Jack McClinton scored 18 points for Miami after a 38-point effort in the first round against Saint Mary's. McClinton made a 3-pointer late in the second half to cut the lead to 10, then dove to knock a pass off a Texas player out of bounds with 2:22 to play.
McClinton sank a couple free throws to make it 68-60, the first time all half Miami was within single digits. He then made two more from the line after drawing a foul driving to the basket. Down six, Miami (23-11) had the ball, but Lance Hurdle tossed up a wild shot and Texas' Connor Atchley ended up with the ball.
Still, the Longhorns couldn't put the game away from the free throw line. A 3-pointer by Hicks with 11.9 seconds to play made it 72-69, but Texas was able to get the ball to Abrams, who made all six of his free throw attempts.
Miami fell a win short of equaling its school record for a season. The Hurricanes went 12-20 in 2006-07 but bounced back this season, reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament for only the third time.
Texas fell in the second round a year ago, then lost star Kevin Durant to the NBA.
"This time of year, it's not easy," Barnes said. "It's never easy."
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas is one of only three schools to advance to the Sweet 16 in five of the last seven years (Duke and Kansas).
- Texas has played 18 of its 36 games this against NCAA Tournament teams and has a record of 14-4 in those games
- Texas matched the UT single-game record for three-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game with 13 (vs. Iowa, 3-19-92)
- Texas matched the UT single-game record for blocked shots in an NCAA Tournament game with seven (vs. LSU, 3-25-06; vs. Georgia, 3-16-90).
- Texas is 5-2 in NCAA Second-Round games during the Rick Barnes era.
- Texas is 31-28 (.525) in its 26 trips to the NCAA Tournament.
- With 30 wins this season, Texas has matched the school record for most victories in a single season (2005-06).
- In two NCAA Tournament games, Texas is shooting 47.9 percent (23-of-48) from three-point range
- In two NCAA Tournament games, D.J. Augustin and Justin Mason have combined to post 29 assists to eight turnovers (3.6-to-1 ratio).
- In five postseason games, Texas has a 1.8 (81-44) assist-to-turnover ratio
- Texas improved to 21-0 when holding its opponent 40 percent or below FG shooting.
- Texas has posted more assists than turnovers in 30 of its 36 games.
- Texas had four players score in double figures for the 13th time this season (12-1).
- Texas has blocked 68 shots in the past 11 games (6.2 bpg).
- Five of Texas's first seven made field goals were three-pointers.
- Texas had seven assists on its first seven baskets of the game.
- Texas' first four baskets were scored by four different players (Atchley, Abrams, James and Augustin) and the first 10 baskets were scored by six different players (Mason and Pittman).
- Texas went on a 13-0 run from 16:49 to 13:57 in the first half to lead 19-8.
A.J. Abrams
- Tied the UT single-game record for threes in an NCAA Tournament game with six for the second consecutive game (B.J. Tyler, vs. Western Kentucky, 3-17-94)
- Scored in double figures for the 32nd time this season and the 57th time in 71 career game
- Reached the 20-point mark for the 14th time this season and the 23rd time in 107 career games
- Scored in double figures for the 28th time this season and the 66th time in his career
- Made at least four three-pointers for the 12th time this season and did so by halftime
- In his last four games, has averaged 22.8 ppg on 31-of-63 (.492) field goal shooting, including 22-of-43 (.512) on threes
- Matched the UT single-game record for free throw percentage in an NCAA Tournament game at 1.000 (6-of-6)
Connor Atchley
- Moved to fifth on the UT single-season blocked shots list with 75, passing LaMarcus Aldridge (73, 2005-06) and Albert Burditt (74, 1991-92).
- In two NCAA Tournament games this season, has averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.
- Set his career post-season high with 15 points and matched it with 12 points in just over 12 minutes in the first half
- Scored in double figures for the 14th time this season and the 17th time in his career
- Has blocked at least one shot in 16 of the last 17 games and 31 of 36 games this season
- Blocked at least three shots for the 15th time this season
D.J. Augustin
- Moved to fifth on the UT career assists list with 442, passing Terrence Rencher (440, 1992-95)
- Scored in double figures for the 32nd time this season and the 57th time in 71 career games
- In five postseason games, has posted 32 assists to nine turnovers (3.6-to-1 ratio)
- Led Texas in assists for the 31st time this season
- Dished out eight-plus for the 11th time this season
- Matched his career post-season high with three steals, and did so in the first half
Damion James
- Moved to second on UT's single-season rebounds list with 384, passing LaSalle Thompson (370, 1980-81). He trails only Kevin Durant (390, 2006-07).
- Set his career post-season high with 16 rebounds (previous: 14 vs. Kansas, 2007 Big 12 Championship)
- Matched his career high with three 3-pointers for the fifth time
- Scored in double figures for the 25th time this season and the 37th time in 71 career games
- Registered his 17th double-double of the season and the 21st of his career, including three in this postseason (two NCAA)
- Reached double figures in rebounding for the 20th time this season and the 30th in his career
- Led Texas in rebounding for the 33rd time this season
- Recorded at least seven rebounds for the 30th time in the last 31 games, and did so in the first nine minutes of the game
- Has blocked at least one shot in 13 of the last 14 games
- Pulled down six rebounds in the first six minutes of the game
- Has made at least one three-pointer in 11 of the last 13 games
Justin Mason
- Has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.3-to-1 (30-7) in postseason play
- Dished out at least four assists for the fifth consecutive game and the 12th time this season
- Has made at least one three-pointer in seven of the last eight games
- Had three assists in the first six minutes of the game
Dexter Pittman
- Averaged 8.0 rebounds per game in two NCAA Tournament games
