The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
(6-0)
Connecticut
(3-2)
Buzzer beater lifts No. 7/9 Men's Basketball over No. 24/22 UConn, 55-54
11.30.2014 | Men's Basketball
Longhorns end 44-game home non-conference winning streak for Huskies.
STORRS, Conn. – Jonathan Holmes made a corner three-pointer with two seconds remaining to lift No. 7/9 Texas to a 55-54 victory over No. 24/22 Connecticut on Sunday afternoon at Gampel Pavillion.
It was the first three-point buzzer beater on the road for Texas since March 23, 2006, when Kenton Paulino hit a three as time expired to defeat West Virginia, 74-71, at the NCAA Regional Semifinal in Atlanta, Georgia.
This also was Holmes' second buzzer beater of his career. His first was against No. 22 Kansas State on Jan. 24, 2014, a similar corner 3-pointer in front of the Texas bench.
Texas (6-0) snapped UConn's 44-game win streak against non-conference teams at Gampel Pavillion. UT also was the first ranked non-conference team to beat UConn (3-2) at home since Florida State accomplished the feat on Feb. 6, 1993.
The Horns led for 31 minutes of the game and outscored UConn, 10-3, in the final six minutes. The defense did not allow the Huskies to make field goal for the last 6:51 of the contest.
Holmes led all Texas scorers with 13 points while hitting 4-of-7 three-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds. Javan Felix and Demarcus Holland each added 10 points.
After UConn scored the game's first four points, Texas responded with 10 unanswered points forcing a Huskies timeout with 13 minutes remaining in the half.
The Horns built their lead to seven (20-13) before a 7-3 run by UConn caused Texas to take a timeout at the 3:21 mark.
Sam Cassell Jr. trimmed the Texas lead to one with a three-pointer, but a trey from Felix and a Holland layup pushed the lead back to six, 31-25, going into the break.
Holland scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first half, while the team shot 45.5 percent from beyond the arc (5-of-11).
Four minutes into the second half, UConn cut the lead to three, but 20 seconds later, a floater by Felix and a layup from Kendal Yancy increased the lead back to seven (39-32), forcing a Huskies timeout.
A 5-0 run by the Huskies, including four points from Ryan Boatright, tied it up at 41-all for the first time in the game with 12:43 remaining. Two minutes later, Boatright made another layup to give UConn its first lead of the game since leading 4-3 in the first three minutes of the contest.
After the 11-1 UConn run forced a Texas timeout at the 8:43 mark, Holmes sunk a three to bring the Horns within two (47-45).
A pair of free throws from Myles Turner and Yancy closed the UConn gap to one, 51-50, with 2:08 remaining.
A crucial turnover forced Texas to foul with 26 second left. Boatright sunk his two free throws, but Felix responded with a quick layup with 17 seconds remaining to pull within a single point again (53-52).
After fouling Boatright again, he missed his second free throw with 15 seconds left and UConn leading 54-52. Texas took a timeout with four seconds left to set up the game-winning play.
Boatright led all scorers with 24 points and pulled down seven boards.
The Longhorns return to Austin when they host UT Arlington on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Erwin Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Central and will be aired nationally on Longhorn Network.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 7/9 Texas 55, No. 24/22 Connecticut 54
Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, Connecticut)
Attendance: 10,167 (sellout)
Team Notes
- The victory snaps a 44-game non-conference winning streak for UConn in Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies also had not lost at home to a ranked non-conference opponent since Feb. 6, 1993 (Florida State).
- Texas limited UConn to 54 points on 30.4% FG shooting (17-of-56), including a 3-of-16 (.188) mark from three-point range. The Horns have held each of their first six opponents to below 60 points AND 32% FG shooting.
- Texas improved to 243-26 in the Rick Barnes era when holding its opponent below 40% FG shooting (6-0 this year).
- The Longhorns were out-rebounded for the first time this season (36-35).
- This marked UT's first victory on the road over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 24/23 Baylor last season 74-60 (Jan. 25, 2014).
- UT posted eight blocks. The Longhorns have registered at least seven rejections in each of the last five games and are now averaging 7.5 per game on the year.
- Hit the game-winning three-pointer from the left corner with 2.2 seconds left. He was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc
- His buzzer beater was the second of his career. He also lifted Texas to victory with the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer at home against Kansas State last season.
- Reached double figures in scoring (13 points) for the fourth time this year and 46th time in his career (101 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the third time this season and 14th time in his career (75 games)
- Registered all 10 points in the first half
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the second time this year and 31st time in his career (73 games)
- Tied his season high in assists (four)
- Recorded five blocked shots, just one shy of his season high. He leads the team in blocks (18, 3.0 bpg) through the first six games.
- Set a career high in free throws made (4-of-5) in 25 minutes.
