The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
7-12, 1-6Big 12
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Kansas
18-1, 7-0Big 12
Men's Basketball falls at No. 2/1 Kansas, 79-67
01.21.2017 | Men's Basketball
Freshman Jarrett Allen records career highs of 22 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Freshman forward Jarrett Allen had a career-high 22 points and 19 rebounds while freshman guard Andrew Jones recorded his third straight game in double-figure scoring with 15 points, but Texas fell 79-67 at No. 2/1 Kansas on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. Sophomore guard Eric Davis Jr. added 12 points and three steals, while senior forward Shaquille Cleare reached double-figure scoring in his third consecutive game with 11 points.
Allen converted a career-best 9-of-14 field goals and 4-of-7 free throws in 34 minutes. He was just one rebound shy of becoming the fifth UT player in school history to record at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a contest and the first since Kevin Durant (37 points and 23 boards at Texas Tech on Jan. 31, 2007).
Kansas guard Devonte' Graham led four Jayhawks scoring in double figures with 18 points and five assists. The Jayhawks outrebounded the Longhorns by a 40-33 margin and registered 14 steals, the highest number allowed by Texas this season.
The Jayhawks jumped out to a 14-2 lead at the 15:41 mark and extended their advantage eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeto 19-5 following a jumper from Graham with 13:37 remaining. Texas (7-12, 1-6 Big 12) used a 9-0 run over a stretch of 3:22, bookended by a pair of field goals from Cleare to cut the Kansas lead to 24-21 with 6:30 remaining.
Kansas (18-1, 7-0) converted three quick shots from beyond the arc in less than two minutes to build a 35-25 cushion, forcing Texas to take a timeout at the 3:54 mark. Allen sank a jumper at the buzzer to send Texas to the locker room trailing 41-33 at halftime. Allen posted a team-high 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone for his seventh double-double of the season.
Allen started the second half with a three-point play, drawing Texas to within 41-36, but Frank Mason III scored his team's next six points to push the Kansas lead back to 47-36 with 17:41 remaining. The Longhorns' next three baskets came from long range, but the Jayhawks responded with baskets inside the arc to keep a 53-45 lead at the 14:21 mark.
Allen scored the next three baskets for the Longhorns, but a pair of free throws from Lagerald Vick extended the Kansas lead to 63-53 at the 8:05 mark. Texas was then held without a basket from the field over a span of 5:18, but solid shooting from the charity stripe and a jumper from Davis pulled the Longhorns to within 68-60 with 4:52 left.
Jones converted two consecutive baskets to cut the Kansas lead to 71-64 with 3:27 remaining. Kansas used an 8-0 run in the final two minutes of the game to secure the 79-67 victory.
The Longhorns return home to face Oklahoma on Monday, Jan. 23. Tip is set for 8 p.m. Central at the Frank Erwin Center, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
#2/1 Kansas 79, Texas 67
January 21, 2017
Lawrence, Kansas (Allen Fieldhouse)
Attendance: 16,300 (sellout)
Team Notes
- This marked UT's third consecutive contest against an AP Top 10 opponent (lost 74-72 to #10 West Virginia on Jan. 14, lost 74-64 at #6 Baylor on Jan. 17).
- This is the first time in program history that the Longhorns have faced three consecutive opponents ranked in The AP Top 10.
- Texas dropped to 8-28 in the all-time series against Kansas. The Jayhawks have won the last six meetings in the series.
- UT posted a 19-15 advantage in points off turnovers and a 20-15 advantage in bench scoring.
- Recorded a double-double (22 points, 19 rebounds) for the seventh time this season (19 games) and third time in Big 12 play (7 games).
- Set career highs in scoring (previous: 19 vs. West Virginia on Jan. 14), rebounds (previous: 13 at K-State on Dec. 30) and FG made (9-of-14, previous high: 8, twice) and tied his career high in blocked shots with 3 (third time he has posted 3 blocks).
- Came within 1 rebound of becoming just the fifth player in UT history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game (Kevin Durant – 37 points, 23 rebounds at Texas Tech on Jan. 31, 2007; Brad Buckman – 27 points, 21 rebounds at Colorado on Feb. 8, 2005; LaSalle Thompson – 26 points, 21 rebounds at North Texas on Jan. 19, 1981; Larry Robinson – 26 points, 23 rebounds vs. Centenary on Dec. 27, 1971).
- His 19 rebounds marked the second-highest single-game total by a UT freshman in school history. Kevin Durant had 23 boards at Texas Tech on Jan. 31, 2007.
- Reached double figures in scoring for the fifth straight game and 13th time this season.
- Has reached double figures in scoring in six of the first seven Big 12 contests.
- Reached double figures in rebounds for the eighth time this season.
- Reached double figures in scoring (11 points) for the third straight game, the seventh time this season (19 games) and ninth time in his UT career (52 games).
- Had his consecutive FT made streak snapped at 21 (made his first FT and missed his second in the first half). His streak dated back to the Long Beach State game on Dec. 10. It marked the longest consecutive FT made streak since J'Covan Brown hit 28 straight from Jan. 7, 2012 through Jan. 21, 2012.
- Reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the fifth time this season (19 games) and 19th time in his career (52 games).
- Reached double figures in scoring (15 points) for the third straight game and 10th time this season (19 games).
- Set a career high in blocked shots with 2 (previous: 1, five times).
- Tied his career high in FG made (6-of-9, previous: 6, twice).
Texas head coach Shaka Smart Postgame Quotes
On the first five minutes of the first half:
"Kansas did a good job with their aggressiveness when the ball went to Shaquille (Cleare) and Jarrett (Allen). It is really situational play-by-play. The first play of the game Shaquille was one-on-one and he should have shot the ball and he tried to throw it to Jarrett but there wasn't anything there so that was a turnover. A couple of times it went to Jarrett and Kansas did a really nice job closing down a double team and that led to turnovers. But I thought our guys responded well and showed a lot of fight today. We had some times today when we cut the lead down to a number (of points) where we thought we could get even or get ahead, but Kansas had an answer every time. That's what great teams do."
On what he said to his team during the first media timeout:
"I told them to respond. We always focus on response. And our bench did a nice job trying to help our guys that were in the game. Our guys didn't seem shaken or rattled even though we were down 14 to two. I think they knew that we could play better and that we would play better. We just settled in and once we started getting good shots, we made a decent percentage of them. We had a stretch late in the game where our execution and the shots we ended up getting were not good."
On Jarrett Allen:
"He can go way farther. He's just a really fast learner. He has gotten better and better. He's applied himself in terms of work ethic. He's very good when you give him something, whether it's on film or an individual workout, to do. He's good at applying, it but he's good a huge upside where he can continue getting better and better. I'm just really pleased with his growth, if you look at it from the start of the season until now, how much better he's gotten."
On Andrew Jones and Eric Davis Jr., versus Kansas' Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham:
"I thought Mason and Graham were awesome. Just the way they control the game and looking at the stat sheet, those guys had 12 assists and one turnover. That is what veteran guards do and then they also made some really timely shots, six 3's between the two of them. I thought Kansas, in general, made some really timely 3-point shots and honestly they're really a great 3-point-shooting team. I think it is a combination of passing the ball really well; they're unselfish and they've got good shooters. They do a really nice job of being ready to shoot and ready to attack."
On Kansas' Josh Jackson:
"I have seen him a lot in AAU. So I thought in that class he was the best player in the country. Obviously, he was ranked by most people there. The thing that was impressive about him in high school was he played with a high motor, but also he could do a lot of different things from a standpoint of rebounding, handling the ball, driving. I thought two of his biggest shots today were the 3's he hit. You have to try to take away something with him right now with where he is. We didn't want him to be able to score in the paint but he really made us pay with those two 3's, one in the first half and one in the second half. They were at critical junctures in the game. With a team like Kansas, you're not going to be able to take away everything. You've just got to try and take away what they do best. You have to be on edge to try and defend them when they go to their next option and their next option. But I think one thing that they've done a terrific job at, and this is a testament to their coaching staff, is they have very well-defined roles. Jackson is going to attack and do a lot of things. And obviously he's got a miss-match when he's playing at the four spot. Graham and Mason are going to do what they do, they're going to control the ball, make plays and make plays at the end of the clock. Lucas rebounds like crazy. And then they have guys that come in off the bench that have roles as well."
On the Longhorns' season so far:
"For us right now, our guys have shown a lot of growth, individually and collectively, that is not coordinated with winning, which is what you're trying to do each time you get to the floor. What we want to do is be more consistent. I think a game like today is a good example, when you're playing a great team like Kansas. You can't have a stretch of possessions where you're not doing what it is you need to do because they're going to make you pay for that and they did. But if we can put more consistent play together with the growth that we've had, I think we can really make progress. Really, if you take away that first stretch, we played even. I know that's not how the game works, obviously, but I think that a lot of guys have gotten better. Jarrett has gotten better, Andrew has gotten better, Eric Davis showed a lot more life today and Shaquille has done a lot of good things, so we just have to put it together. When you're playing good teams, you have to be more consistent."
On preparing for today's game:
"This is a special place. One thing I was telling one of our guys on the way in was (that) this is my second time being here. Both times have been on a weekend. And it's kind of like the twilight zone because it feels like there is nothing else going on here besides the game. Everyone is locked in on the game. Again, that is a testament to the program and Coach Self and what they've built over the years. As a player, I think that goes in to having an excitement about playing. But our guys prepared well in terms of their mindset. They were excited to play, even though I think they're excited no matter who we play. We just made some mistakes early and Kansas really capitalized and it ended up being a really big difference."
