The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Rice
No. 20 Men's Basketball edges Rice, 62-59
11.27.2010 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2010
Box Score | 
| Box Score 
| Quotes | Notes
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- After all the 3-pointers No. 20 Texas made in the second half against Rice, it was a shot from about 2 feet that finally did in the Owls.
Freshman guard Cory Joseph made a layup with 37 seconds to play and the Longhorns survived an upset scare when the Owls missed a 3-pointer to tie it at the buzzer, holding on for a 62-59 victory Saturday.
Joseph had 14 points and Jordan Hamilton scored 13 for the Longhorns, who made nine 3-pointers in the second half but couldn't put the game away from the free throw line in the final seconds.
Texas (5-1) made just three 2-point field goals in the second half.
"We just got on a hot roll and we kept on going with it," Joseph said.
The Owls packed into a zone defense for most of the game, allowing Texas to take most of the long-range shots uncontested. But they switched to a man-to-man defense in the final minutes. Joseph's defender left him to guard Hamilton on the perimeter and Gary Johnson rifled him the pass for an easy basket.
"I was alone and Gary made a great find," Joseph said.
Arsalan Kazemi scored 13 points for Rice (3-3). His two free throws with 55 seconds left had pulled the Owls within 58-57.
Joseph's layup put Texas ahead 60-57. Joseph, Tristan Thompson and Hamilton then missed free throws down the stretch that would have sealed the win before Tamir Jackson's 3-pointer at the horn bounced off the rim.
"Our guys played hard and played well. It's one of those games you wish you had one more possession at the end," Rice coach Ben Braun said.
Hamilton, who came in averaging 24.6 points, had a rough first half, missing all five shots. He found his stroke in the second half, hitting 4 of 8 3-pointers. Joseph was just as good, hitting 4 of 6.
But even when Texas started hitting shots, the Owls refused to be shaken off.
Rice led 23-20 at halftime and never let Texas get ahead by more than five points in the second half. Jackson had 12 points, including three tough driving layups, and Cory Pfleiger scored 12 for the Owls, all on 3-pointers.
Texas missed its final eight shots of the first half. The Longhorns started pressing on defense in the second and Johnson made the Longhorns' first basket in 10 minutes.
Hamilton found his stroke seconds later and three 3-pointers in less than two minutes put Texas ahead.
"It was clear that they were going to let us shoot all of the 3s that we wanted to shoot," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "Early in the game, they weren't even guarding Jordan on the perimeter."
Given that kind of room, Texas kept firing up the 3-pointers. Joseph made two, Hamilton made another and Jai Lucas hit from long range and the Longhorns looked ready to pull away.
The Owls wouldn't let them. Pfleiger made two 3-pointers and another by Lucas Kuipers cut the lead to 50-49 with just over 5 minutes to play.
After Joseph's basket, Rice's Trey Stanton got a layup attempt wedged between the rim and backboard with 19 seconds to play. The Owls had the possession arrow and Jackson drew a foul, but Rice was whistled for a foul after a missed free throw.
Hamilton made one of two free throw frees with six seconds left to give Texas the three-point lead before Jackson's missed 3-pointer.
"This game was good for us," Barnes said. "It still got down to where were are going to have to make some stops."
TEXAS QUOTES
Head Coach Rick Barnes
On hitting the three-point shots tonight and if Texas can count on that throughout the season: It is really pretty simple. I thought that of all the teams that we have played this year that Rice did the best job executing on their offensive end. It was clear that they were going to let us shoot all of the threes that we wanted to shoot and the first half we didn't want to settle into that. We probably tried to over think it and once the ball went inside, which we got it, it comes out. Guys had shots that they should have taken and they didn't. I thought they got a little tentative there. All you have to look at is Tristan Thompson had two field goals there and we had wide-open shots and we had all we wanted and we missed them, which that happens. This game was good for us we needed a game like this because it still got down to where we are going to have to make some stops.
On Cory Pflieger hitting some of the threes out of the corner for Rice on the weak side: What hurt us was the dribble penetration and our post players are coming over to make some plays. When that happens the guard has to get inside but they kicked out a few times. That one they had at the end shouldn't have happened because we took away help defense on him and Cory Joseph came in and we don't want to give that up. On the ball screen defense, we were switching some things and we just didn't communicate it. The threes they got because they executed and we didn't and that is what we have to get better at.
RICE QUOTES
Head Coach Ben Braun
On today's game: I thought our guys played hard today. We had some opportunities to step up and maybe if we could defensively rebound a little tougher, get out on a couple of shots, maybe things go a little differently. Rick's team plays hard and they made plays when they had to. I thought Tristan Thompson really hurt us on the offensive glass. He was a big factor and obviously, Jordan came out and in the second half and made some big shots for them. Jai Lucas I thought gave them a little spark, knocking down some shots. They had guys making plays at the right time. I thought our guys played awfully hard and awfully well. It was just one of those games where you wish you had maybe one more possession at the end.
On giving up the 3-pointers in the second half due to the zone: We played some match-up and we still have our man principles. We play primarily man this year and our defense has been pretty sound. We've been holding teams in the 30-37%, so to hold Texas right around 40% and again, we held them close to 30 in the first half, 33% is kind of what we've been doing so hopefully we continue to defend. That's going to give us an opportunity, and if we can add some exclamation marks with rebounds at the end that would really help up because that's really something that I think broke our backs today- not finishing the play. I think defensively we had Texas guarded but we didn't finish the play with the rebound.
On when they left the zone: Yea, we played again, our match-up, our zone has so many man-to-man principles in it that whether it's man or zone, it's pretty similar. Our guys cover gaps and we usually have a guy on the ball pretty well but we left a couple of their shooters open and that hurt us. Obviously Joseph hit a big corner shot and Jordan (Hamilton) hit a couple of shots and Jai (Lucas) stepped in a hit a couple of shots. They hit some shots when they have to. Give Texas credit, they knock down some shots. If they don't make those shots I think maybe we win the basketball game. They hit the shots when they had to hit them.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas owned a rebounding advantage (32-27) for the sixth consecutive game
- Texas improved to 134-59 all-time against Rice
- Texas record its 22nd consecutive non-conference home win
- Texas improved to 80-7 (.920) at the Erwin Center in the last six seasons [dating back to the start of the 2005-06 season] and 170-22 (.885) at the Erwin Center under Rick Barnes
- Texas improved to 102-15 (.872) against in-state foes during the Barnes era
- Nine of Texas 12 made field goals in the second half were 3-point field goals
- Texas shot 60.0% (9-of-15) from 3-point range in the second half after shooting just 20.0% (2-of-10) in the first half
Jordan Hamilton
Reached double digits in scoring (13 points) for the sixth time this season and the 24th time in his career (40 games)
Cory Joseph
- Recorded a career high with 14 points, topping the 10 he registered against Illinois earlier this season
- Reached double digits in scoring for the second time this season
- Led Texas in scoring for the first time in his career
- Reached career highs with five field goals and four 3-point field goals
Jai Lucas
- Equaled his Texas career-high with three assists, matching a total he reached on four prior occasions
Tristan Thompson
- Registered his first career double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds)
- Reached double digits in scoring for the fifth time this season
- Reached double digits in rebounding for the first time this season
