The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Sam Houston State
Men's Basketball Defeats Sam Houston State, 56-40
11.26.2011 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2011
Final Stats | |
Final Stats 
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Alexis Wangmene scored 13 points, providing the key baskets late, as Texas shook off a bad shooting night to beat Sam Houston State 56-40 on Saturday.
Jonathan Holmes scored 14 points and Sheldon McClellan added 12 for Texas (3-2), which had four players score in double figures to snap a two-game losing skid.
The Longhorns, who lost all five starters from last season and have just nine recruited scholarship players, shot 32 percent. Texas didn't build a comfortable lead until a McClellan dunk and a tip-in by Wangmene put the Longhorns ahead 45-35 with just under 4 minutes to play.
Konner Tucker and Darius Gatson each scored 10 points for the Bearkats, (1-5) who have lost five in a row.
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas improved to 13-2 in its series with Sam Houston State.
- Texas improved to 95-9 (.913) at the Erwin Center in the last seven seasons [dating back to the start of the 2005-06 season] and 185-24 (.885) at the Erwin Center under Rick Barnes.
- Texas trailed 16-4 at the 12:07 mark in the first half, marking its largest deficit of the season, before closing the half on a 24-6 run to assume a 28-22 halftime lead.
- Texas held Sam Houston State to 32.1% shooting; Texas has held 217 of its 450 opponents to under 40% field-goal shooting. UT sports a 198-19 (.912) mark in the Barnes era when accomplishing the feat.
- Reached double figures in scoring (11 points) for the fifth time this season and 38th time in his career (74 games)
- Posted a season-high eight rebounds
- Reached doubles figures in scoring (14) for the fourth time this season
- His missed free throw in the second half snapped a streak of 20 consecutive made free throws
- Played a season-high (28) minutes, dished out a season-high three assists and collected a season-high with nine rebounds
- Averaged 13.3 points and seven rebounds in his last four games
- Reached double figures in scoring (12) for the fourth time this season
- Averaged 12.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in his last four games
- Posted a career-high 13 points and tied a career-high with two steals
TEXAS COACH QUOTES
HEAD COACH Rick Barnes
On missed shots:We had a lack of discipline, offensively. We don't understand flow. You can't go 1-for-15. If you don't score in three possessions, then you have to decide, `Okay, we are going to get something right here.' We don't have the discipline to do that yet. Defensively, I don't think we were great even though their (field goal) percentage looks like it would be. I thought they moved the ball around and got some things they wanted. They did go to four guards and that makes it tough for (forward) Jonathan (Holmes) and those guys, but I thought that was good for them. We could have sized down, but those guys need to learn to do that.
On the play of Jonathan Holmes and Sheldon McClellan:I thought those two guys did a pretty good job. When you look at it, it's been a long time since we have had two post players that almost had double-doubles. Sheldon [McClellan] continues to get better defensively. That's a foreign language to him right now. But, he is a smart player, so he will figure it out.
On Alexis Wangmene's improvement:He will post up hard on the low block. We feel like he is going to make his free throws. He has been, in his career, a pretty good free throw shooter. He will post up hard and catch the ball. He just has to keep it simple like most players down there.
On rebounding from the two recent losses:We practiced hard the last two days. We had to work on transition defense, especially, because we were so bad at that in New Jersey. We worked on it long and hard and did it for about two hours yesterday.
TEXAS PLAYER QUOTES
SENIOR FORWARD/CENTER Alexis Wangmene
On improving his game over the last year: I try to score when I get the chance to do so. That's all we do as basketball players, try to score and try to play defense. That's one of the things I worked on all summer long. I had to make sure I am able to finish around the rim and make some free throws. I just worked on my game, because I want to add something to this team.
On cutting down on fouls: As a team we have to make sure we go into every game mentally prepared. When you get ready for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally, do your work and try to stay within the game, and try to be focused. It helps you stay away from foul trouble when you do your work early.
On success on the offensive glass: We were trying to win the game. One thing that Coach (Barnes) has been emphasizing since the New Jersey tournament is to go in and get some more offensive rebounds and make sure we box out on the other end.
FRESHMAN GUARD Sheldon McClellan
On deciding whether to pass or shoot: It frustrated us a lot. Coach [Barnes] got on us about our low percentage shooting, so we just tried to make extra passes and take the right shot. Some people took some bad shots and he got on them. We passed up some shots we should have taken, and that resulted in taking bad shots when we got hesitant. So, we just have to know when to shoot and when not to shoot; know when to pass and when not to pass.
On the energy level of the team: It was a really slow start. The mood just wasn't there tonight. We just have to get back in the gym and work harder.
On learning from previous losses: We mainly learned on the defensive end. Coach (Barnes) is really hard on us on the defensive end. If we play defense well, our offense will come. On the offensive side, we just have to execute, do what Coach (Barnes) tells us and do the right thing. You can't take any team for granted, so we go out there and play every team the same way. We just have to go out there and try to get the "W".
SAM HOUSTON STATE QUOTES
HEAD COACH JASON HOOTEN
Opening statement:I thought we played better than we have in the previous four games which is what we were trying to do; to get better and continue to work hard and see if we can find a way to win games. We have a lot of guys on our team that have never been 1-5, and I am one of them. So, it is a little disheartening. We have seven guys on scholarship not playing right now; we have one with an Achilles (injury), and two with a broken foot. Those guys stand 6-5, 6-8, 6-8 and 6-9. Coming to the University of Texas and having to guard those guys on the inside for 40 minutes short-handed is tough, but I was proud of our guys. With that being said, we played with a 6-3 guy working the forward against a guy who went 6-8, 250 pounds. I thought we fought hard.
On keeping the game close: I told our guys when this all started to go down that no one cares about excuses. You play the game whether you are short-handed or not. We just have to find a way to get better and hope we can get some of these guys back within the next few weeks to a month. Our schedule is brutal. We play five games, and four of them are probably against teams that will probably win their league. Next week, we go to College Station. I think they (Texas A&M) have a pretty good team. The week after that we to Cleveland State, and they beat Vanderbilt, at Vanderbilt. So, our schedule will not ease up any.
