University of Missouri
Texas
Tigers Fall To Texas, 89-85
3/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2002
By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After watching Missouri settle into a 3-point shooting groove, Rick Barnes was glad the Tigers waited until the closing seconds to do it.
"It kind of scares you, the things they were able to do in the final minute," Texas' coach said after the Longhorns withstood four last-minute 3-pointers to beat Missouri 89-85 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament on Friday night. "They get relaxed, and they have no problems making buckets."
Brandon Mouton scored 19 points and freshman T.J. Ford had 10 assists for Texas (20-10), which made the semifinals for the fourth straight year but has never won the tournament. Deginald Erskin added 15 points and James Thomas recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns.
No matter what happens in Saturday's semifinal against No. 4 Oklahoma - a rematch of last year's title game - Barnes said the Longhorns belong in the NCAA tournament.
"I thought we were in a month ago," he said. "That board's already set. You could do a selection show tonight if you wanted to."
Rush hit five 3-pointers - three of them in the final minute as Missouri cut Texas' 84-73 lead to 87-82 - and led Missouri (21-11) with 33 points.
Clarence Gilbert, who hit eight 3-pointers and scored 26 points in Thursday's first-round win over Iowa State, was just 3-for-12 from long range on Friday and finished with 19 points for Missouri.
"It was an uphill battle," said Gilbert, whose 321 career 3-pointers moved him two ahead of Kansas' Jeff Boschee in their duel for the Big 12 record.
Gilbert's last 3-pointer came with just 1.4 seconds left, after Brian Boddicker hit two free throws with eight seconds left to give Texas an 89-82 lead.
"Missouri has great shooters," Mouton said. "Our guards did a good job of slowing them down and chasing them around the court."
Travon Bryant added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers and Arthur Johnson finished with 10 points.
Texas, which never trailed, took a 12-3 lead in the first 2{ minutes and led 29-13 after Mouton's basket with 11 minutes remaining in the half. It was still a 15-point game, 41-26, with just under six minutes left before Johnson hit two straight baskets to start Missouri's rally.
The Tigers put together a 10-0 run late in the first half and early in the second, cutting Texas' lead to 43-35 by the half and to 43-40 on Rush's basket with 18:55 left in the game.
"Our offense really bogged down toward the end of the half and that almost put us behind," Barnes said. "We wanted to make their perimeter guys guard, so we started to get a little impatient."
They got within two points, 49-47, on Bryant's tip-in with 15:55 left, but Thomas scored five points in a 7-0 run that made it 56-47 with 13:35 left. After that, Missouri never got within one possession again.
Missouri coach Quin Snyder drew a technical foul with 8:33 left for coming onto the court when Rush was called for fouling Texas' Jason Klotz on an inbounds play. The Longhorns failed to take full advantage, though, hitting only two of the ensuing four free throws for a 67-60 lead.
"I don't think the technical hurt us," Snyder said. "It didn't impact the game. We just didn't fight right."
