The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
5-3
VCU
7-2
Men's Basketball falls to VCU, 54-53
12.05.2018 | Men's Basketball
Sophomore forward Jericho Sims paced the Longhorns with a team-high 14 points.
AUSTIN, Texas — Sophomore forward Jericho Sims recorded a team-high 14 points, but the Texas Men's Basketball team fell 54-53 to VCU (7-2) on Wednesday night at the Frank Erwin Center. The Longhorns (5-3) suffered the loss despite holding the Rams to 28.1-percent field goal shooting (16-57) on the night.
The back-and-forth contest featured 10 ties and 15 lead changes. The largest lead by either team during the night was 5 points.
Senior forward Dylan Osetkowski contributed 7 points, a team-high 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Freshman forward Jaxson Hayes posted 8 points, 3 blocks and 2 steals, while sophomore guard Matt Coleman III added 7 points.
Freshman forward Kamaka Hepa provided a spark off the bench for the Longhorns, connecting on a pair of three-pointers to give Texas a 14-9 cushion at the 14:03 mark. Trailing 15-14 with 10:59 left, a pair of Sims baskets and a Coleman jumper helped the Longhorns build a 20-15 advantage at the 8:57 mark. Three free throws in the final 30 seconds of the first half gave VCU a 32-31 edge at the break.
A dunk from sophomore guard Jase Febres highlighted a 6-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half, as the Longhorns took a 37-34 lead at the 17:37 mark. Osetkowski finished an emphatic follow dunk in transition that extended UT's advantage to 49-45 with 7:44 left.
VCU responded with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes that gave the Rams a 52-49 cushion at the 4:38 mark. The Longhorns closed within a single point (54-53) after a layup by senior guard Kerwin Roach II with 1:29 remaining, but Texas missed a pair of open looks in the final 40 seconds.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
VCU 54, Texas 53
December 5, 2018
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Attendance: 8,190
Team Notes
- The all-time series between Texas and VCU is tied at 2-2.
- All four meetings have come at campus sites, and the visiting team has won each of the four matchups.
- Texas fell to 231-42 at the Frank Erwin Center in the last 17 seasons (dating to the start of the 2002-03 season). UT is 40-16 at home during the Shaka Smart era (3-2 this season).
- The contest featured 10 ties and 15 lead changes. The largest lead for either team was 5 points (Texas 26-21 at the 4:06 mark of the first half).
- UT posted a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint.
- Tied his season high with 3 blocked shots (marked the fifth time he has recorded 3 blocks in a game)
- Tied his season high in scoring (6 points), field goals made (2-4) and 3-point field goals made (2-4). He previously set all three of those marks in the season opener vs. Eastern Illinois (Nov. 6).
- Led the team in rebounds (9) for the fifth time this year (8 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (team-high 14 points) for the second straight game, third time this season (8 games) and seventh time in his career (42 games)
- Set a career high in FG made (7-9)
Up Next
Texas hosts No. nr/24 Purdue on Sunday, Dec. 9. Tip is set for 5 p.m. CT at the Frank Erwin Center, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
