Another second-half surge boosts No. 10 Texas to 69-66 win at No. 7 Kansas State
In the first half of the first leg of Texas’ two-game road trip to the state of Kansas, the Longhorn shooting effort could not keep up with the Kansas State Wildcats. No. 7 K-State’s 12-of-26 mark from the field, even without star forward Keyontae Johnson, put the ‘Cats up 11 at the halftime break.
[Get Inside Texas Plus until the start of the 2023 season for $29.99!]
But as the Horns have done throughout the season, they surged in the second half with improved shot-making and continued tenacious effort. Texas followed up a 7-for-23 first half with a sizzling 16-of-28 second half, including a 19-9 run to erase the halftime deficit and take the lead with 12:05 left.
It was a tightly contested and often whistled affair from that point on. In the closing minute, Christian Bishop and Sir’Jabari Rice made play after play down the stretch to seal the Longhorns’ eighth Big 12 win and keep Rodney Terry’s team in first place in the conference.
Bishop finished with 14 points, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, made the go-ahead bucket with 37 seconds left, and recorded the game-clinching steal with 13 seconds left to give Rice the chance to ice the game at the line.
Rice did just that, scoring his 13th and 14th points to give Texas the 69-66 win. Rice pulled down 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
Rice and Bishop were joined by a trio of Horns with 10 points apiece: Marcus Carr, Tyrese Hunter, and Timmy Allen.
First-half shooting struggles put the No. 10 team in the country at a halftime deficit, even while K-State’s star in Johnson was limited in action with three fouls. The Wildcats were led in scoring on the night by Johnson’s 16 points, 11 of which came in the second half. He was joined in double figures by Desi Sills with 11 points and Marquis Nowell with 10 points.
Texas was able to manufacture good looks at the bucket in the opening 20 minutes, but were unsuccessful in converting their opportunities. In addition, they often mishandled the ball and committed 11 first-half turnovers. The Horns followed with a cleaner second half of basketball with only 6 turnovers.
The Texas surge out of the half featured quality offense and swarming defense. Texas opened the period hitting 10 of its first 13 shots. K-State could only convert five in the same number of opportunities.
It became a contest that came down to the final few minutes. The Longhorns took a two-point lead into the under-4 timeout. On the other side of the break, Nowell hit a tough shot to tie it at 64. Texas was called for an offensive foul, one of 40 total fouls called, to turn the ball over. Johnson missed a mid-range jumper on the opposite end, and Texas took possession in the half-court.
Bishop then took an uncontested three and missed, but Rice grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He hit 1-of-2 at the line to give the Horns a one-point lead.
An empty possession for each team went by before Nowell hit another tough shot to give KSU a one-point lead with under a minute left. Then, Bishop hit a baby hook in the lane to give the Longhorns an advantage they would not forfeit. While KSU was trying to move the ball around the offensive end, Bishop swiped the ball out of Nowell’s hands, never allowing the Wildcats to get a good look at a game-winning shot. The rock eventually ricocheted to Rice, who hit two shots at the line to place the game at its final margin.
The win puts Texas at 8-2 in Big 12 play, good for first in the conference by a game over Iowa State ahead of a trip to Lawrence, Kan. to face Kansas on Big Monday. It also boosts Terry’s record as the interim head coach of the Horns to 12-3, with three of those wins over top 25 teams.
The Longhorns matchup with Kansas at Phog Allen Fieldhouse is Monday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
