The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Appalachian State
Men's Basketball rolls over Appalachian State, 78-43
01.02.2009 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2009
Box Score | 
| Notes | Quotes | Box Score
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Dexter Pittman set career highs with 21 points and 11 rebounds, leading No. 8 Texas to a 78-43 victory over Appalachian State on Friday night.
Pittman scored the final seven Texas points of the first half and the first six of the second half as the Longhorns (11-2) went on a 19-2 run to take a 44-23 lead with 14:58 left in the game.
Texas held Appalachian State (5-5) scoreless for nearly seven minutes as the Longhorns used Pittman's inside play to take control.
Texas led 17-8 after a 6-0 run midway through the first half, but the Mountaineers answered with a 7-0 spurt to pull to 20-17. Appalachian State missed three straight free throws that would have tied the game and Texas broke a 3-minute scoring drought with a pair of free throws by Pittman.
The Longhorns forced a shot clock violation with 2:43 left in the first half and outscored the Mountaineers 7-2 over the final 2:11 to take a 32-23 halftime lead.
Pittman scored seven of his 11 first-half points in the final 2:11 as the Longhorns went inside. Pittman used his 80-plus-pound advantage to dominate the paint with a pair of dunks and a deft jump hook. Pittman grabbed five first-half rebounds while connecting on four of six shots and hitting all three free throws.
The 6-foot-10, 298-pound Pittman then scored six straight points to open the second half. He has scored 17, 19 and 21 points in the last three Texas home games, all against mid-major opponents.
Damion James finished with his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Gary Johnson had five blocked shots for Texas to go with his 16 points and nine boards.
Kellen Brand was the only Mountaineers player in double digits with 12 points.
The 35-point victory was the largest margin of the season for the Longhorns, who have won 80 of their last 84 home games against unranked opponents.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Posted its largest margin of victory of the season, topping the 30 point victory over Stetson (68-38)
- Held an opponent under 40% from the field for the eighth time this season and improved to 159-14 (.919) when holding opponents to under 40% shooting in the Rick Barnes era
- Outrebounded an opponent for the 10th time in 13 games this season
- Texas' seven blocks in the first half was one shy of the school record for most blocks in the first half (8, on three separate occasions) and two shy of the school record for most blocks in a half (9 vs. Kansas State, Feb. 3, 2007)
- Posted a 76-7 (.916) mark in non-conference home games during the Rick Barnes era, including winning 70 of their last 72 non-conference home games
- Improved to 119-10 (.922) in home games against unranked (AP) opponents during the Rick Barnes era, including winning 80 of their last 84 home games against unranked foes
- Won their 17th straight home game
- Improved to 98-6 at the Erwin Center over the last seven seasons
- Improved to 6-3 all-time vs. current members of the Southern Conference
Dogus Balbay
- Has logged 12 assists in the last three games after totaling just eight assists in UT's first nine games
- Has logged 12 assists and just two turnovers over the last three games
Matt Hill
- Logged a season-high 12 minutes, topping the seven he registered against Wisconsin
- Scored a season-high five points
Damion James
- Scored 10 or more points for the 12th time this season and the 50th time in 86 career games
- Logged his sixth double-double of the season and the 27th of his career
- Grabbed 10 or more rebounds for the sixth time this season and the 33rd time in his career
Gary Johnson
- Scored 10 or more points for the eighth time this season and the 12th time in 35 career games
- Blocked a career-high five shots, topping the three he logged against Villanova earlier this season... he topped his career-high with his fourth block with 7:11 remaining in the first half.
Justin Mason
- Tied a career-high with four steals, equaling the mark he recorded on two occasions
- In the last five games, Mason has logged 30 assists against just four turnovers
- In the last seven games, Mason has logged 43 assists against just seven turnovers
Dexter Pittman
- Scored 10 or more points for the fifth time this season and the eighth time in 78 career games
- Scored 20 or more points for the first time in his career
- Scored a career-high 21 points, topping the 19 points he logged against Texas Southern this season
- Grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds, topping the 10 boards he had grabbed on two occasions
- Grabbed 10 or more rebounds for the second time this season and the third time in his career
- Logged a double-double for the second time this season and the third time in his career
- Logged a career-high eight field goals, topping the seven he registered against Texas Southern this season
- Averaged 19.0 points in UT's last three home games
- Played a career-high 26 minutes, topping the 24 minutes he played against Texas Southern this season
TEXAS QUOTES
HEAD COACH Rick Barnes
On Dexter Pittman's career-high 21 points: We probably should have had more points because it took forever for those guys to score. We had our three most experienced players on the bench with foul trouble and we went with a lineup that we've never used before. It took forever to realize that they had no one who could guard Dexter and when they finally started giving him the ball, he did okay. He got a little winded and we suffered on the defensive end because of it, but overall Dexter is getting better and he's putting the time in. But again, in the first half, with those experienced guys on the bench, no one stepped up and assumed any leadership and then we missed free throws, which made it an ugly first half.
On having multiple players who can score: It takes us where we need to go. We need those guys to do that. Damion [James] was really ready to play tonight. I could tell he had a great couple of days since Christmas where he was really focused before the game. I thought he got a tough call on that second foul. I thought A.J. [Abrams] got a tough call on a foul, but it happens. In nineteen minutes, Damion put in a double-double. Dexter was terrific and the guy we have to get going is Justin Mason. He's the guy that has got to get more aggressive. We told him that he either needed to shoot it or we'd take him out the game, and he started doing that. Dogus [Balbay] is getting better too. One thing about it is that tonight, I told them they either do their job or you're coming out of the game. That's what is good about our team right now, if they don't do their job, I'm going to go as deep as we have to go to get somebody to do what he have to get done. But if those guys can get consistent, we'll be where we need to be.
On Gary Johnson's improvement: The only thing that both he and Dexter need to still learn is to get down the floor faster after they make a basket. Especially in a game like tonight, they put the ball on top of you so well in the perimeter those post guys have to get back. That's a little bit of maturity, but Gary can score and I really thought at the beginning of the year during preseason practice that he'd be right there with Damion in terms of being our probably second-leading scorer and a rebounder. If he'll keep getting better, and he's getting more comfortable, there's no doubt about that. He's much more comfortable.
SOPHOMORE FORWARD Gary Johnson
On improving his offense: I've been putting a lot of focus on the defensive end and as a result, that's been able to open up things for me on the offensive end. But my main focus has really been to go out there and play good defense. I still feel like I can make more. Other than waiting on it, I'm trying add different dimensions to my game.
On Appalachian State: They played great and they gathered the guys toward us. Every time the shot went up, I just happened to find my way to the ball.
JUNIOR FORWARD Dexter Pittman
On having a career-high 21 points tonight: I was just doing the execution coach wanted us to do. That was running our plays and for me to duck in and for me to get the ball and just go up. If I didn't have it, we could always reverse it and one of the shooters could shoot it. But I was open a lot of the times.
On playing at home: It's really not all about [the home court], but rather it's about how teams scout you and play you. Tonight they had a big post guy in there so I knew that they weren't going to come and double me that much. I knew I could bang a lot and just play aggressively. I wasn't thinking about anything else but playing aggressively on the defensive end.
