Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, January 11
Austin, TX
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
7-8,0-3Big 12
50
at
64
Texas
11-4,1-2Big 12
1
2
F
Kansas St.
27
23
50
Texas
31
33
64
Second-Half Run Lifts Texas Past K-State, 64-50
Jan 11, 2020 | Men's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas opened the second half on a 12-0 run, part of a 20-2 run that was sandwiched between the two halves, as the Longhorns earned their first Big 12 win of the season and kept Kansas State winless in league play with a 64-50 win on Saturday night before 8,496 fans at the Frank Erwin Center.
The loss punctuated a frustrating day for K-State (7-8, 0-3 Big 12), which saw the team not arrive in Austin until 2:30 p.m., on Saturday due to weather delays and mechanical issues with the team's charter flight.
With K-State leading 25-23 after a layup by junior Cartier Diarra with 2:48 before halftime, Texas scored 20 of the game's next 22 points, flipping a two-point deficit into a 43-27 lead with 13:11 to play. The Wildcats missed their first 12 field goals of the second half before the Longhorns were called for a goaltend on a Diarra layup at the 12:00 mark. The team shot just 30 percent (9-of-30) after halftime with 10 turnovers.
In contrast, the Texas offense was firing on all cylinders for much of the game, as the Longhorns (11-4, 1-2 Big 12) connected on 49 percent (24-of-49) from the field, including 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from 3-point range, in leading for nearly 34 minutes. They became the second consecutive team to knock down 10 3-pointers against K-State.
Diarra was the only Wildcat to score in double figures with a game-tying 14 points on 6-of-16 field goals to go with 5 assists, while freshman DaJuan Gordon added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals off the bench.
Junior Matt Coleman III paced 3 Longhorns in double figures with a game-tying 14 points on 4-of-12 field goals, while sophomore Courtney Ramey and junior Jase Febres added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Junior Jericho Sims chipped in 8 points, a game-high 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
The 50 points marked a season-low for K-State, as the team connected on 37 percent (20-of-54) from the field, including 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point range, made just 5 of 9 free throws (55.6 percent). The Wildcats did take advantage of double-digit Longhorn turnovers, scoring 23 points of those 20 miscues.
It marked just the second double-digit loss for the Wildcats after losing 6 by single digits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Much like the luck K-State has been experiencing of late, Texas opened the game with 3 consecutive 3-pointers, including 2 as the shot clock was expiring, from 3 different players, as the Longhorns jumped out to a 9-2 advantage just over 2 minutes into the contest.
The Wildcats chipped away at the deficit with a jumper from junior Cartier Diarra and tip-in and free throw by freshman Montavious Murphy to close to within 11-7 at the first media timeout at the 15:03 mark.
A 3-point play by freshman Donovan Williams doubled the Longhorn lead less than a minute later, but a jumper by freshman DaJuan Gordon and 2 free throws by senior Xavier Sneed closed the gap to 14-11 at the second media timeout with 11:51 before halftime.
A 3-pointer by Sneed keyed a 7-0 run by the Wildcats that first tied the game at 16-all on a drive and dunk by DaJuan Gordon with 8:51 to play then gave them the lead at 18-16 on a jumper by Diarra at the 6:40 mark. The two teams traded the lead 4 times over the next few minutes before a jumper by the Longhorns' Jase Febres tied the game at 23-all entering the final media timeout at the 3:29 mark.
After Diarra gave K-State a 25-23 lead with 2:48 to play, Texas ended the half on an 8-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer by sophomore Kamaka Hepa right at the buzzer for halftime, that gave the Longhorns a 31-27 lead. It marked the third 3-pointer that Texas hit in the first half at either the end of the shot clock or end of the half.
Both teams shot well in the opening half with Texas connecting on 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field, including 38.3 percent (5-of-13) from 3-point range, while K-State hit on 45.8 percent (11-of-24) of its field goals, but just 14.3 percent (1-of-7) from long range. The Wildcats scored 16 of their 27 points off 11 Longhorn turnovers. Diarra led all scorers with 9 points on 4-of-7 field goals, while Hepa led the Longhorns with 8 points.
The first-half momentum continued for Texas to start the second half, as head coach Bruce Weber was forced to call his first timeout at the 17:58 mark after the Longhorns opened with 4 straight points for a 35-27 lead.
The timeout did not end disrupt the run, as back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomore Courtney Ramey and a jumper by sophomore Andrew Jones extended the Texas lead to 43-27 at the 13:11 mark. K-State missed its first 12 field goals before Texas was called for a goaltend on a layup by Diarra with 12 to play.
The lead was 18 after back-to-back Longhorn buckets before a 3-pointer by junior reserve David Sloan gave the Wildcats just their second triple of the game (on 11 attempts). The teams traded the baskets over the next few minutes before a basket by junior Jericho Sims and a free throw by junior Matt Coleman III gave Texas a 55-36 advantage with 6:15 to play.
Junior Mike McGuirl, who had just been given the Flagrant 1 foul on the Coleman free throw, started a 5-0 run all by himself with a 3-pointer and steal and layup that forced head coach Shaka Smart to call a timeout at the 4:42 mark with the Wildcats trailing 55-41.
A 3-pointer by DaJuan Gordon and a jumper by fellow freshman Montavious Murphy cut the deficit to 12 (58-46) with 3:24 to play, but a 3-point play by Coleman and a 3-pointer by freshman Will Baker ended any hopes of a comeback and increased the lead to 64-46 with just 2 minutes to play. A Murphy 3-pointer and a free throw by Diarra ended the scoring at 64-50.
Texas connected on 48 percent (12-of-25) in the second half, including 50 percent (5-of-10) from 3-point range, while K-State managed just 30 percent (9-of-30) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from long range.
PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Junior Cartier Diarra scored a game-high 14 points on 6-of-16 field goals to go with 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Freshman DaJuan Gordon scored 9 points on 4-of-5 field goals with a team-tying 5 rebounds.
STAT OF THE GAME
20-2 – Texas combined to go 20-2 over the last 2:25 of the first half and the first 6:49 of the second half.
IN THEIR WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
"The travel issues are no excuse for how we played tonight. I thought our guys responded fairly well in the first half, but they made 4 3-pointers with under 2-3 seconds on the shot clock, including the one at the end of the half, and those really hurt. I thought we continued to battle, but they really started the second half with a good run and we really couldn't get anything going offensively. I thought the biggest thing was how physical Texas was defensively and it really rattled our guys and we didn't keep our poise. In the first half, we were able to get some transition points, but in the second half, they were really efficient on offense and didn't turn it over as much. We have a tough week coming up and it will be a test of our team's resolve and our senior leadership."
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
Player Notes
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday night when the Wildcats play host to Texas Tech (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
The loss punctuated a frustrating day for K-State (7-8, 0-3 Big 12), which saw the team not arrive in Austin until 2:30 p.m., on Saturday due to weather delays and mechanical issues with the team's charter flight.
With K-State leading 25-23 after a layup by junior Cartier Diarra with 2:48 before halftime, Texas scored 20 of the game's next 22 points, flipping a two-point deficit into a 43-27 lead with 13:11 to play. The Wildcats missed their first 12 field goals of the second half before the Longhorns were called for a goaltend on a Diarra layup at the 12:00 mark. The team shot just 30 percent (9-of-30) after halftime with 10 turnovers.
In contrast, the Texas offense was firing on all cylinders for much of the game, as the Longhorns (11-4, 1-2 Big 12) connected on 49 percent (24-of-49) from the field, including 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from 3-point range, in leading for nearly 34 minutes. They became the second consecutive team to knock down 10 3-pointers against K-State.
Diarra was the only Wildcat to score in double figures with a game-tying 14 points on 6-of-16 field goals to go with 5 assists, while freshman DaJuan Gordon added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals off the bench.
Junior Matt Coleman III paced 3 Longhorns in double figures with a game-tying 14 points on 4-of-12 field goals, while sophomore Courtney Ramey and junior Jase Febres added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Junior Jericho Sims chipped in 8 points, a game-high 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
The 50 points marked a season-low for K-State, as the team connected on 37 percent (20-of-54) from the field, including 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point range, made just 5 of 9 free throws (55.6 percent). The Wildcats did take advantage of double-digit Longhorn turnovers, scoring 23 points of those 20 miscues.
It marked just the second double-digit loss for the Wildcats after losing 6 by single digits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Much like the luck K-State has been experiencing of late, Texas opened the game with 3 consecutive 3-pointers, including 2 as the shot clock was expiring, from 3 different players, as the Longhorns jumped out to a 9-2 advantage just over 2 minutes into the contest.
The Wildcats chipped away at the deficit with a jumper from junior Cartier Diarra and tip-in and free throw by freshman Montavious Murphy to close to within 11-7 at the first media timeout at the 15:03 mark.
A 3-point play by freshman Donovan Williams doubled the Longhorn lead less than a minute later, but a jumper by freshman DaJuan Gordon and 2 free throws by senior Xavier Sneed closed the gap to 14-11 at the second media timeout with 11:51 before halftime.
A 3-pointer by Sneed keyed a 7-0 run by the Wildcats that first tied the game at 16-all on a drive and dunk by DaJuan Gordon with 8:51 to play then gave them the lead at 18-16 on a jumper by Diarra at the 6:40 mark. The two teams traded the lead 4 times over the next few minutes before a jumper by the Longhorns' Jase Febres tied the game at 23-all entering the final media timeout at the 3:29 mark.
After Diarra gave K-State a 25-23 lead with 2:48 to play, Texas ended the half on an 8-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer by sophomore Kamaka Hepa right at the buzzer for halftime, that gave the Longhorns a 31-27 lead. It marked the third 3-pointer that Texas hit in the first half at either the end of the shot clock or end of the half.
Both teams shot well in the opening half with Texas connecting on 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field, including 38.3 percent (5-of-13) from 3-point range, while K-State hit on 45.8 percent (11-of-24) of its field goals, but just 14.3 percent (1-of-7) from long range. The Wildcats scored 16 of their 27 points off 11 Longhorn turnovers. Diarra led all scorers with 9 points on 4-of-7 field goals, while Hepa led the Longhorns with 8 points.
The first-half momentum continued for Texas to start the second half, as head coach Bruce Weber was forced to call his first timeout at the 17:58 mark after the Longhorns opened with 4 straight points for a 35-27 lead.
The timeout did not end disrupt the run, as back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomore Courtney Ramey and a jumper by sophomore Andrew Jones extended the Texas lead to 43-27 at the 13:11 mark. K-State missed its first 12 field goals before Texas was called for a goaltend on a layup by Diarra with 12 to play.
The lead was 18 after back-to-back Longhorn buckets before a 3-pointer by junior reserve David Sloan gave the Wildcats just their second triple of the game (on 11 attempts). The teams traded the baskets over the next few minutes before a basket by junior Jericho Sims and a free throw by junior Matt Coleman III gave Texas a 55-36 advantage with 6:15 to play.
Junior Mike McGuirl, who had just been given the Flagrant 1 foul on the Coleman free throw, started a 5-0 run all by himself with a 3-pointer and steal and layup that forced head coach Shaka Smart to call a timeout at the 4:42 mark with the Wildcats trailing 55-41.
A 3-pointer by DaJuan Gordon and a jumper by fellow freshman Montavious Murphy cut the deficit to 12 (58-46) with 3:24 to play, but a 3-point play by Coleman and a 3-pointer by freshman Will Baker ended any hopes of a comeback and increased the lead to 64-46 with just 2 minutes to play. A Murphy 3-pointer and a free throw by Diarra ended the scoring at 64-50.
Texas connected on 48 percent (12-of-25) in the second half, including 50 percent (5-of-10) from 3-point range, while K-State managed just 30 percent (9-of-30) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from long range.
PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Junior Cartier Diarra scored a game-high 14 points on 6-of-16 field goals to go with 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Freshman DaJuan Gordon scored 9 points on 4-of-5 field goals with a team-tying 5 rebounds.
STAT OF THE GAME
20-2 – Texas combined to go 20-2 over the last 2:25 of the first half and the first 6:49 of the second half.
IN THEIR WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
"The travel issues are no excuse for how we played tonight. I thought our guys responded fairly well in the first half, but they made 4 3-pointers with under 2-3 seconds on the shot clock, including the one at the end of the half, and those really hurt. I thought we continued to battle, but they really started the second half with a good run and we really couldn't get anything going offensively. I thought the biggest thing was how physical Texas was defensively and it really rattled our guys and we didn't keep our poise. In the first half, we were able to get some transition points, but in the second half, they were really efficient on offense and didn't turn it over as much. We have a tough week coming up and it will be a test of our team's resolve and our senior leadership."
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- K-State falls below .500 for the first time since losing at Texas on March 7, 2015 (15-16).
- K-State has now posted a 60-132 all-time record on the road in Big 12 play since 1997, which includes a respectable 48-61 mark away from home since the 2006-07 season… The Wildcats are 32-47 under head coach Bruce Weber on the road, including a 25-38 mark in the Big 12.
- K-State now leads the all-time series, 22-17, which includes a 9-10 record in Austin and an 8-10 mark at the Frank Erwin Center… The loss ended a 3-game winning streak by the Wildcats in Austin… The series is now tied at 17-all in the Big 12 era.
- The Wildcats' starting lineup consisted of juniors Cartier Diarra and Mike McGuirl, senior Xavier Sneed, freshman Montavious Murphy and senior Makol Mawien… This was the seventh time using this lineup.
- Sneed has now played in 120 career games, including 87 starts (48 consecutive)… Mawien has played and started in every game in his career, which now stretches to 86… Diarra has now played in 78 games, including 46 starts (17 consecutive)… McGuirl has now played in 61 career games, including 17 starts… This was the seventh career game and start for Murphy.
- K-State has now started at least one true freshman (A. Gordon or Murphy) in 14 of 15 games this season.
- Freshman DaJuan Gordon and junior Levi Stockard III were the first players off the bench.
- Freshman Antonio Gordon returned to action after missing the TCU game due to injury (shoulder).
- The 50 points were the fewest scored by K-State this season and the fewest since scoring 49 at Kansas on Feb. 5, 2019… The team has scored fewer than 60 points in back-to-back games.
- K-State connected on 37 percent (20-of-54) from the field, including 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point range… The Wildcats hit on just 30 percent (9-of-30) in the second half.
- Texas connected on 49 percent (24-of-49) from the field, including 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from 3-point range… It marked the second consecutive game that an opponent hit on 10 or more 3-pointers.
- K-State scored 23 points off 20 Texas turnovers… It marked the seventh time this season that the Wildcats have scored 20 or more points off turnovers and was the fifth time forcing 20 or more turnovers.
- K-State held advantage in points off turnovers (23-15), points in the paint (26-20), fast-break points (15-5) and bench points (16-13).
- Texas led for nearly 34 minutes (33:46), while K-State led for under 2 minutes (1:48), a season-low.
- K-State trailed 31-27 at halftime, which marked the seventh time the team has been behind at the half.
Player Notes
- Junior Cartier Diarra scored a game-tying 14 points on 6-of-16 field goals, including 0-of-3 from 3-point range, with a team-high 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 37 minutes… He has now led the team in scoring in 7 career games, including 6 times this season… He has now scored in double figures in 26 career games, including 9 this season… He has at least 5 assists in 12 of 15 games this season.
- Freshman DaJuan Gordon led the bench with 9 points on 4-of-5 field goals, including 1-of-1 from 3-point range, to go with a team-tying 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 27 minutes… The 9 points were the most scored by the freshman in Big 12 play.
- Freshman Montavious Murphy scored 8 points on 3-of-8 field goals, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with a team-tying 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 25 minutes.
- Freshmen (DaJuan Gordon, Antonio Gordon and Montavious Murphy) accounted for 19 points.
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday night when the Wildcats play host to Texas Tech (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Team Stats
KState
UT
FG%
.370
.490
3FG%
.333
.435
FT%
.556
.500
RB
31
32
TO
18
20
STL
11
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballG
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/ Men's BasketballG
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