Kansas State University Athletics
Kansas State University
Texas
Kansas State Falls To No. 5 Texas, 74-60
Mar 04, 2003 | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2003
By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas - The chant started as the final seconds ticked off inNo. 4 Texas' 74-60 victory over Kansas State on Tuesday night: "Beat OU! BeatOU!"
For the 10,846 fans at Texas' Frank Erwin Center, the Wildcats were alreadyan afterthought.
The win secured Texas' first undefeated home schedule in nine seasons andset up a showdown at border rival No. 5 Oklahoma on Saturday with a first-roundbye in the Big 12 tournament and maybe even a share of the conference title onthe line.
Sixth-ranked Kansas has already earned at least share of the league titleand one of the two first-round byes.
"We're looking forward to going in there and playing our hearts out,"Texas point guard T.J. Ford said of Oklahoma.
To make that game count, Texas first had to dispatch Kansas State (12-16,3-12 Big 12), which has lost six in a row.
Texas (21-5, 12-3) lost five home games last season and had set a goal to goundefeated at the Erwin Center.
"You have to defend your home turf," said Longhorns center James Thomaswho had 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead Texas' 50-30 domination on theboards.
Brandon Mouton scored 13 points and Ford added 11 points and eight assistsfor Texas, which went 14-0 this season at home.
The ability to defend its home court, including a 67-61 win over the Soonerson Feb. 10, has been critical to one of the most successful regular seasons inTexas history.
The Longhorns have been ranked in the Top Ten all season, unprecedented at aschool where basketball is traditionally an afterthought to football.
"It was one of the goals we set, to be undefeated at home," Texas coachRick Barnes said. "Year in and year out, the best teams in the country havegreat home support."
The game had the look of a rout early as the Longhorns shot 53 percent thefirst half.
On a night when pregame ceremonies honored Texas' three seniors - none ofwhom start - freshman Brad Buckman scored seven of the Longhorns' first ninepoints.
Senior Terrell Ross banked in a 3-pointer and Ford and Sydmill Harris hittwo more as the Longhorns raced to a 24-7 lead by shooting 9-of-16 andoutrebounding Kansas State 13-4 over the first nine minutes.
Texas led 35-19 with 5:23 left in the half when Kansas State, which lost itsprevious five games by less than 10 points, mounted a 9-2 run that cut it to37-30 on Jarrett Hart's runner in the lane.
The Longhorns then closed the half on a putback by Thomas and Mouton'sbuzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right corner for a 42-30 lead.
Thomas scored eight points as Texas built the lead back to 57-40 beforeKansas State mounted a final rally. The Wildcats cut it to 10 three times, thelast at 61-51, before Mouton nailed consecutive 3-pointers from the same cornerto push it back to a 16-point difference with seven minutes left.
"He raised up for us and made a couple of big 3s," Barnes said. "We justgot relaxed with the lead. (But) even though they made some pushes, we foughtthem off."
Kansas State couldn't seize the momentum due mostly to Texas' dominantrebounding. The Wildcats scored only nine second-chance points, got to the foulline just nine times and hit 3-of-13 3-pointers.
"Coming in rebounding was the goal," said Thomas, who leads the Big 12 inthat category with 11.4 per game. "Last game we got outrebounded, I tookoffense to that."
Matt Siebrandt led the Wildcats with 12 points.
"For programs that are trying to rebuild I think the hardest thing to do iswin on the road," Wildcats coach Jim Wooldridge said. "We probably don't haveenough experience to come in and win on the road. We aren't one of those teamsright now but I think we can get there."
