The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
20-12,9-9Big 12
Kansas State
19-13,8-10Big 12
Men's Basketball falls to Kansas State, 78-74, in Phillips 66 Big 12 Second Round
03.14.2024 | Men's Basketball
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Graduate guard Max Abmas recorded a game-high 26 points, but Texas (20-12) dropped a 78-74 decision to Kansas State (19-13) on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Center in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Second Round. The Longhorns will now await to hear their postseason fate during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday, March 17 (5 p.m. CT, CBS).
Abmas converted 9-of-20 field goals, including 3-of-10 from three-point range, and 5-of-5 free throws to go along with four rebounds and four assists against just one turnover in 38 minutes. He moved into a tie for the No. 3 spot on the NCAA Division I men's all-time career three-point field goals made chart, as Abmas has now converted 509 threes in 155 career games and shares the spot with Fletcher Magee of Wofford.
Graduate guard Ithiel Horton registered 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 threes) and five rebounds in 32 minutes, while sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell added 13 points (6-6 FG), six boards and two assists in 30 minutes. Graduate forward Dylan Disu posted a game-high nine rebounds to go along with nine points and two steals while being limited to 23 minutes due to foul trouble in the second half.
The Longhorns scored the game's first six points and jumped out to a 9-2 advantage following a Disu free throw at the 16:13 mark. K-State responded with a 14-3 spurt over the next three-and-a-half minutes to take a 16-12 lead after a David N'guessan put-back with 12:50 remaining, before Texas answered with a 14-0 run over a span of 5:34 to build a 26-16 cushion following a Mitchell dunk at the 7:16 mark.
The Wildcats trimmed the margin to 31-27 after a pair of Cam Carter free throws with 3:20 left, but the Longhorns scored six-straight points to increase their advantage to 37-27 following a Horton jumper at the 1:26 mark. The two teams traded baskets over the final 32 seconds, and Texas took a 39-29 lead into the break. The Longhorns converted 57.1-percent (16-28) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
K-State scored the first seven points of the second half to cut the gap to 39-36 after an Arthur Kaluma layup at the 17:39 mark. The Longhorns took a 47-42 lead following a pair of Ze'Rik Onyema free throws with 14:30 left, but the Wildcats scored six straight points to grab a 48-47 advantage after a Tylor Perry three-pointer at the 12:32 mark.
An Abmas putback gave Texas a 49-48 lead with 12:08 remaining, but K-State answered with a 10-2 spurt over the next four minutes to grab a 58-51 cushion following a Perry three-pointer at the 8:23 mark. The Wildcats pushed the margin to 67-57 after a Carter free throw with 4:28 left, before Texas used a 9-2 run over the next three minutes to trim the deficit to 69-66 after an Abmas layup at the 1:25 mark. An Abmas three-pointer brought the Longhorns to within 76-74 with eight seconds remaining, but Carter hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to seal the victory for K-State.
Texas Basketball Postgame Notes
Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Second Round
Kansas State 78, Texas 74
March 13, 2024
T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri)
Attendance: 18,261
Team Notes
- Texas dropped to 52-44 all-time in league tournament games.
- The Longhorns fell to 31-25 in its 27 appearances at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
- Texas led by 10 points (39-29) at the half and by as much as seven points (45-38) at the 16:02 mark of the second half.
- The Longhorns registered a 16-10 advantage in points off turnovers and a 21-12 margin in fast-break points.
- UT tallied 11 assists against just seven turnovers on the evening.
- The Longhorns converted 57.1-percent (16-28) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes while building a 39-29 halftime cushion.
- Texas dropped to 19-3 this season when leading at halftime
- Topped the 20-point mark (game-high 26 points) for the 10th time this season (32 games) and 77th time in his career (155 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring for the 29th time this year and 141st time in his career
- Moved into a tie for No. 3 on the NCAA Division I men's career three-point field goals made chart (tied at 509 with Fletcher Magee of Wofford)
- Set the UT record for most career games played (145), previous: A.J. Abrams (144, 2006-09)
- Registered a game-high nine rebounds to go along with nine points and two steals
- Posted a team-best plus-minus total of plus-22 in 23 minutes of action
- Reached double figures in scoring (14 points) for the 10th time this year (32 games) and 70th time in his career (134 games)
- Reached double figures in scoring (13 points) for the 17th time this year (32 games) and 23rd time in his career (70 games)
- Converted a perfect 6-of-6 field goals during the contest, becoming just the second Texas player to make all of his field goal attempts (minimum five attempts) in a Big 12 Tournament contest (Jason Klotz, 5-5 vs. Oklahoma on March 12, 2004)
