Wichita native Maurice Evans would have preferred to have scripted a more productive homecoming scenario.
Now a junior at the University of Texas, Evans was plagued by foul trouble and poor shooting in the Longhorns’ 82-66 loss to Kansas on Saturday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse.
Texas | 32 | 34 | 66 |
Kansas | 34 | 48 | 82 |
Technical foul: Kansas coach Roy WilliamsAttendance: 16,300
“I was thrown off by those fouls,” Evans said. “That was my fault. I needed to let the game come to me.”
The 6-foot-5 guard, who transferred to Texas after two seasons at Wichita State, picked up his third foul with 6:53 remaining before halftime and didn’t return until the start of the second half.
Evans wound up playing 25 minutes and scoring 10 points, about six below his average, while missing nine of his 13 shot attempts. Half of Evans’ four goals were three-pointers.
“I looked forward to this game, but there was a lot more significance than just my coming home,” he said. “We had a chance to play for first place.”
Texas would have forged a tie with the Jayhawks for the top spot in Big 12 standings with a victory, but now the Longhorns are two games back in the race.
“We missed baskets we normally make,” Evans said. “Their big men came out and executed in the second half. They played like a Top Five team. They protected their home court.”
Although trailing by only two points at the half (34-32), the ‘Horns fell behind quickly in the second half because they missed 14 of their first 17 shots.
“We were getting shots we could make,” said senior guard Darren Kelly, who led Texas with 19 points but missed two-thirds of his 18 attempts. “They just weren’t falling. It just didn’t happen for us.”
In the first half, the ‘Horns had held Kansas big men Eric Chenowith, Drew Gooden and Nick Collison to 3-for-17 shooting. But the KU tall trio finished with 41 points combined.
“The key for us was to play great post defense,” Kelly said, “and we didn’t get it done.”
Second the motion, said Texas coach Rick Barnes.
“They really hurt us inside the second half. Kansas does a great job inside,” Barnes said. “They’re a great inside team and we gave them too much room in the paint.”
Still, in spite of the poor shooting and the inability to neutralize KU’s big men, Barnes was confident.
“Even with four or five minutes left,” the UT coach said, “I thought we were in great shape. I was really pleased with our poise and the way we stayed with it.”
Texas is 13-0 at home this season, but 2-5 on the road.
Three-point goals: 5-18 (Evans 2-5, Kelly 2-6, Mouton 1-5, Wyatt 0-1, Ivey 0-1). Assists: 8 (Kelly 4, Evans, Mouton, Williams, Boddicker) Turnovers: 10 (Kelly 4, Evans 2, Ivey 2, Owens, Mouton). Blocked shots: 4 (Kelly 2, Mouton, Boddicker). Steals: 8 (Owens 2, Mouton 2, Ivey, Kelly, Wyatt, Williams). |
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Three-point goals: 4-10 (Boschee 4-6, Gregory 0-1, Hinrich 0-1, Axtell 0-2). Assists: 18 (Hinrich 8, Boschee 4, Gregory 3, Chenowith, Collison, Axtell). Turnovers: 12 (Hinrich 3, Boschee 3, Chenowith 2, Collison 2, Gregory, Gooden). Blocked shots: 9 (Chenowith 4, Collison 2, Gooden, Gregory, Boschee). Steals: 5 (Gregory 3, Boschee 2). |