The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
17-11/6-9
West Virginia
22-6/10-5
Men's Basketball falls short at No. 20/19 West Virginia, 71-64
02.24.2015 | Men's Basketball
Holland ties season high with 14 points in defeat.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Demarcus Holland scored a team-high 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Isaiah Taylor chipped in 13, but the Texas Longhorns fell to the No. 20/19 West Virginia Mountaineers, 71-64, at the WVU Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Texas (17-11, 6-9 Big 12) committed 12 turnovers in the first half allowing the Mountaineers (22-6, 10-5 Big 12) to build a 33-15 lead that the Horns could not overcome. UT would pull within two, 40-38, with 13:36 remaining. West Virginia made its free throws down the stretch, converting 16-of-18 in the second half, to finish at 87.0 percent (20-of-23) for the night. The Longhorns finished with 17 turnovers.
Holland matched his season high with 14 points, including 10 in the second half, while Taylor scored 11 of his 13 points in the final period and added a game-high six assists. Kendal Yancy recorded nine points, while Connor Lammert scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
Texas shot 52.5 percent (21-of-40) during the game, including 73.3 in the opening period. The Longhorns are now 7-1 in games this season when shooting 50 percent or higher.
West Virginia took control of the contest from the start and used a 10-0 run to build a 20-6 lead, Trailing by 18 (33-15), Texas used a 10-3 run in the final three minutes to pull within 11 at the break, 36-25.
Turnovers proved costly as Texas committed 12 turnovers in the first half, allowing the Mountaineers to hold a 20-3 advantage in points off turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Texas shot 73.3 percent (11-of-15) in the opening period, the second-best percentage by UT in a half against a Big 12 opponent,
The Longhorns opened the second half with a 9-2 run to climb within four (38-34), forcing a West Virginia timeout with 16:41 remaining. The Mountaineers would rebuild their lead to 53-40, thanks to three 3-pointers over an eight-minute stretch.
Devin Williams led the Mountaineers with 14 points.
Texas continues its road trip by heading to Lawrence, Kansas, to face the No. 8/9 Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. Central at Allen Fieldhouse, and the contest will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#20/19 West Virginia 71, Texas 64
February 24, 2015
WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W. Va.)
Attendance: 12,048
Team Notes
With their four blocked shots, the Longhorns set a new single-season team record for most blocked shots (207 through first 28 games this year). The previous single-season team mark was 206 last season.
UT had its four-game winning streak against West Virginia snapped with the defeat. Texas had won each of the previous four contests against WVU by double-digit margins, posting a +18.0 scoring margin (77.8-59.8) in the stretch.
Texas dropped its first game of the year when converting at least 50% of its field goals. UT hit 21-of-40 (.525) from the floor during the loss. The Horns fell to 7-1 this year when converting at least 50% from the floor.
UT converted 73.3% FG (11-of-15) in the opening half. This marked the fifth-highest field goal percentage in a half by Texas (since stat was kept starting in 1965-66). It also marked the second-highest field goal percentage in a half in a Big 12 Conference game (.762, 16-of-21 FG, in second half vs. Oklahoma on Jan. 15, 2000).
Tied a season high in scoring (team-high 14 points)
Reached double figures in scoring for the eighth time this season and 19th time in his career (97 games)
Set a career high in free throws made (5-of-6)
Reached double figures in scoring (13 points) for the 12th time this year (18 games) and 39th time in his career (53 games)
Added six assists and has averaged 6.5 assists per game in the last two contests
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