The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
11-21, 4-14
Texas Tech
18-14, 6-12
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 20 | 41 | 61 |
| Texas Tech | 26 | 26 | 52 |
Men’s Basketball rallies to beat Texas Tech, 61-52
03.08.2017 | Men's Basketball
Explosive second-half effort advances the Longhorns to the quarterfinals at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
Video: Game Highlights (courtesy Big 12 Digital Network)
Video: Coach Smart postgame interview (courtesy Big 12 Digital Network)
Video: Mareik Isom postgame interview (courtesy Big 12 Digital Network)
Video: Eric Davis Jr. postgame locker room interview (courtesy Big 12 Digital Network)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Texas Men's Basketball (11-21, 4-14 Big 12) overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half to defeat Texas Tech (18-14, 6-12 Big 12), 61-52, in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Wednesday at the Sprint Center.
Freshman guard Andrew Jones led all scorers with 15 points and four assists, while sophomore guard Kerwin Roach Jr. posted 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Freshman forward Jarrett Allen scored 10 points and added four rebounds, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
As a team, Texas committed only nine turnovers and out-rebounded the Red Raiders, 36-34.
Texas Tech led for most of the first half, but the Longhorns reduced the deficit from 11 to six in the final 1:07 of the first half after Jones hit a three-pointer and senior Kendal Yancy sunk a layup with one second remaining. The Texas defense held the Red Raiders without a field goal in the final 5:06 of the first half to get back within striking distance, trailing 26-20 at the break.
A quick four points in the first minute of the second half followed by a pair of jumpers by Yancy pulled the Horns within two, 30-28, at the 17:35 mark. The Red Raiders responded with 12 points from Evans and Anthony Livingston over 5:39 while holding Texas to just three points to extend the lead back into double-digits, 42-31, with 10:35 remaining in the game.
Dunks by Roach kick-started and concluded an 18-2 run over 5:24 to give Texas a 49-44 lead with 4:46 left in the game. The Red Raiders responded with four quick points from Zach Smith and Evans to pull back within one, but a crucial three from senior Mareik Isom cushioned a 52-48 Texas lead with 2:52 left to play.
Free throws from Jones gave Texas a 59-50 lead with 34 seconds to play. A fast-break dunk from Jones capped a 30-10 score differential in the final 10:35 of the game to give the Longhorns the 61-52 victory.
With the win, Texas improved to 6-1 in Big 12 Championship first round games.
Keenan Evans led the Red Raiders with 11 points and four rebounds. Texas Tech was held to 35.6-percent (21-of-59) shooting from the floor.
Texas will face No. 11/11 West Virginia on Thursday, March 9 in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship quarterfinals. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central at Sprint Center, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 10 seed Texas 61, No. 7 seed Texas Tech 52
March 8, 2017
Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Attendance: 18,972
Team Notes
- Texas improved to 46-39 all-time in conference tournament games, including a 25-20 mark in its 21 appearances at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
- UT improved to 6-1 in First Round games at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns have now won five consecutive first-round contests in the league's postseason tourney (2009 vs. Colorado, 2010 vs. Iowa State, 2013 vs. TCU, 2015 vs. Texas Tech, 2017 vs. Texas Tech).
- Texas improved to 85-56 against Texas Tech in the all-time series between the two schools. The Longhorns are now 4-1 against the Red Raiders at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. UT has won 17 of the last 20 and 23 of the last 27 games against Texas Tech.
- Trailing 42-31 at the 10:35 mark of the second half, the Longhorns closed the game on a 30-10 run.
- UT converted 16-of-20 (.800) from the free throw line, while the Red Raiders hit just 5-of-8 from the stripe. Texas connected on 11-of-13 (.846) free throws in the second half, while Texas Tech did not attempt a single free throw.
- Texas advances to face No. 11/11 West Virginia (No. 2 seed) in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship quarterfinals on Thursday, March 9. Tip is set for 6 p.m. CT at Sprint Center, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
- Reached double figures in scoring (10 points) for the 25th time this season (32 games).
- Tied a UT single-game Big 12 Tournament record for highest FT percentage (1,000, 6-6) with at least six free throws made. A.J. Abrams (6-6 vs. Oklahoma State on March 10, 2007) and T.J. Ford (6-6 vs. Texas Tech on March 14, 2003) also share the mark.
- Played a season-high 17 minutes and posted 7 points (2-of-5 threes, 1-of-2 FT) and 2 rebounds.
- Reached double figures in scoring (15 points) for the 21st time this year (32 games).
- Had 10 of his 15 points in the second half, converting 2-of-4 field goals and 6-of-7 free throws.
- Reached double figures in scoring (13 points) for the 17th time this year (31 games) and 26th time in his career (64 games).
- Had 12 of his 13 points in the second half, converting 4-of-8 field goals (2-of-4 threes) and 2-of-2 free throws.
- Had a season-high 6 rebounds to go along with 8 points (4-5 FG) and 2 steals in 26 minutes.
