Phillip-Main-21616.jpg
Texas Too Much For WVU in Austin
February 16, 2016 10:29 PM | Men's Basketball
Isaiah Taylor scored 23 points and freshman guard Eric Davis Jr. came off the bench to add 15 to lead Texas to an 85-78 victory over 10th-ranked West Virginia tonight at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center in Austin, Texas.
The Longhorns used a 21-12 run over a six-minute period at the end of the first half to take a nine-point lead into the locker room at the break.
“We got tired and gave up penetration, they suck you in to help and then they pitch it and they get step-in shots,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
During one stretch, Texas scored points on seven straight possessions, four of those coming on jumpers from Davis, as Huggins was forced to go to a 3-2 zone defense when guard Jaysean Paige stepped on Elijah Macon’s foot and injured his ankle.
Paige later returned briefly, but was ineffective and then spent the remainder of the game on the bench. West Virginia was already a man down with starting guard Daxter Miles Jr. back in Morgantown nursing a left hamstring injury sustained late in the TCU win.
“We can’t play the way we’ve been playing when we don’t have enough people on the perimeter,” said Huggins.
In the second half, Texas (17-9, 8-5) built its lead to as many as 16 points with 3:44 remaining before West Virginia staged a late flurry to pull to within five, 77-72, on Jonathan Holton’s tradition three-point play.
The Longhorns answered with six consecutive Taylor free throws to put the game on ice.
“They made their free throws,” said Huggins. “You’re hoping they miss their free throws and they didn’t miss free throws.”
Texas shot 48.1 percent for the game and once again had little trouble navigating through West Virginia’s full-court pressure defense. The Longhorns turned the ball over just seven times tonight - one fewer than the eight turnovers it had in Morgantown back on January 20 when Texas defeated West Virginia 56-49.
Junior forward Devin Williams, who recently scored his 1,000th career point last Saturday against TCU, had 18 points and 12 rebounds for West Virginia. Junior guard Tarik Phillip came off the bench to lead WVU with 19.
Holton added 10, getting most of those late when West Virginia was trying to get back into the game.
“It seemed like every time we got it going we did something or something happened that didn’t allow us to make the comeback that we needed to make,” said Huggins. “Then at the end you are running out of fouls.”
Texas sweeps the season series for the second time in three years and improves to 8-4 all-time against the Mountaineers. The Longhorns are also 3-0 now against AP Top 20 teams at home, having previously defeated then-No. 3 North Carolina on December 12 and then-No. 17 Iowa State on January 12.
Tonight’s loss puts West Virginia (20-5, 9-4) a full game behind Kansas in the Big 12 standings with Saturday’s game against third-ranked Oklahoma at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown looming.
Saturday’s game against the Sooners has already been announced a sellout.
College Basketball Crown Recap
Thursday, April 16
Ross Hodge, Honor Huff & Brenen Lorient | Oklahoma Postgame
Sunday, April 05
Ross Hodge, Treysen Eaglestaff & Brenen Lorient | Creighton Postgame
Saturday, April 04
Ross Hodge & Honor Huff | Stanford Postgame
Thursday, April 02
