Final, Texas wins 72-69

Putting together a carbon copy of a stellar first half offensively didn’t happen for Kansas University Monday night after halftime. That said, Texas’ huge performance in the final 20 minutes pushed the No. 11 Longhorns past the No. 3 Jayhawks, 72-69, in Austin.

The loss drops KU to 23-2 overall and 8-2 in Big 12 game, now behind Kansas State for first place.

A.J. Abrams, who scored 14 points for Texas, blocked a crucial Brandon Rush three look in the late minutes, then hit two huge free throws late in the game. Connor Atchley led Texas with 16 points, including a four-of-four three-point showing in the first half. Damion James, who played just three minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, scored 12 of his 14 points after the break. D.J. Augustin scored 10 for Texas despite just hitting one field goal try all night.

Darrell Arthur scored 22 points for KU to lead all scorers, including 14 in the first half. Darnell Jackson and Mario Chalmers had 13 apiece and Rush 10.

Chalmers, who hit one big three in the final minute, had another look at one as the clock expired after a D.J. Augustin missed free throw.

The telling stat was Texas outrebounding Kansas 36-35 after KU held a 23-13 rebounding advantage at the break.

The Jayhawks are now 1-2 against ranked opponents this season, and 0-2 against them away from home.

KU faces Colorado this Saturday at home at 12:45 p.m.

:32.2, second half, Texas leads 69-67

Mario Chalmers went to the line for a one-and-one after drawing contact out of the timeout. he hit one of two, and after an A.J. Abrams three miss, Justin Mason corralled an offensive board to allow Texas to melt some clock.

D.J. Augustin missed a long jumper and A.J. Abrams couldn’t hit off an inbound with just two seconds on the shot clock. Abrams made up for it, though, deflecting a Brandon Rush three look from the corner and setting up a trip for Damion James to the stripe with :40.5 to go.

James hit both charities, pushing the Texas lead to five points, but Chalmers answered quickly with a guarded three up top, keeping KU within two with :32 to play.

2:29, second half, Texas leads 66-63

A.J. Abrams hit a pull-up jumper for Texas around a screen to put the ‘Horns up by two out of the full break, and a miss by Darrell Arthur set up another opportunity to drive for Justin Mason, who this time was fouled hard by Darnell Jackson. Mason hit one of two, putting Texas up by three.

D.J. Augustin then scored against a melting shot clock for his first field goal of the game, putting Texas up 62-57 and forcing Bill Self to call a 30-second timeout.

Sherron Collins was stripped while driving by D.J. Augustin, and on the other end, Justin Mason forced the Erwin Center to explode, skying to tip in a Damion James miss and extend Texas’ lead to seven points with less than five minutes to play.

Mario Chalmers ended a five-minute scoring drought for KU by hitting a pair of free throws with KU in the double bonus. That also snapped a 10-0 Texas run.

Chalmers scored again after Texas failed to score on the possession, slashing to the rim for two, giving him nine points.

Damion James pumped some more adrenaline into the Longhorn faithful then, finishing off a D.J. Augustin miss with a follow-up slam. Darrell Arthur scored just his third bucket of the second half in response, giving him 20 points and again pulling KU to within three.

Augustin drew contact on Brandon Rush for the junior’s fourth foul leading into the final T.V. break of regulation.

7:28, second half, game tied 57-57

Darnell Jackson took a dish from Brandon Rush out of the timeout up high and slammed it for two, drawing the third foul against Damion James in the process. Jackson missed the free throw, but came away with a steal on the defensive end. KU couldn’t convert after Mario Chlamers missed finger roll.

Sasha Kaun was called for a foul which sent Texas into the bonus at the 10:06 mark, but Gary Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one, sending the ball back with KU. Sherron Collins then went up and under, squeezing in a layup for his first points of the game. A.J.Abrams was then off the mark on a three attempt, but Damion James off an offensive rebound drew the third foul of the game on Darrell Arthur. He hit a pair of free throws to pull Texas within one.

KU had multiple opportunities to extend the lead on the trip back, but a Mario Chalmers three miss and a Sherron Collins layup miss gave the ball back to Texas. Gary Johnson again got to the line but continued to struggle from there. After hitting his first two of the night, he finally made one after three straight misses, tying it at 57-57.

Sherron Collins missed a three from the left wing and Damion James tipped the board to A.J. Abrams. D.J. Augustin missed again for Texas, making him 0-for-9 from the floor, but the third foul of the game on Russell Robinson gave possession back to Texas and sent the game into a full break.

11:18, second half, Texas leads 54-53

Justin Mason drew contact underneath while shooting again after a KU turnover out of the timeout. Mason hit one of two, putting Texas ahead of Kansas by three at 51-48.

Darrell Arthur missed a turnaround hook while double-teamed on the other end, and KU then committed its fifth foul of the half.

Brandon Rush swished a three from the left elbow after a KU full timeout, and Sasha Kaun then gave KU the lead once again with a turnaround two off the glass inside.

Damion James responded with his second three of the game for Texas, then he swatted a Mario Chalmers look inside on the defensive end. Texas couldn’t capitalize, but the ‘Horns carried a 54-53 lead into the second full break of the half at 11:18.

15:50, second half, Texas leads 50-48

Brandon Rush picked up his third foul of the game and headed to the bench just 15 seconds into the second half.

D.J. Augustin then missed his eighth field goal attempt of the game, but Justin Mason corralled the offensive board and scored, drawing contact in the process to pull Texas within two. After Mason missed the free throw, a lane violation gave him a second chance, which he cashed.

Darrell Arthur then started what he had yet to finish after one half, scoring his seventh field goal from the baseline, giving him 16 points so far and KU a three-point lead.

Mason then scored again after having his initial attempt swatted by Mario Chalmers. Darrell Arthur quickly answered with two more off the glass, but Damion James awoke the sleeping crowd with a three from straight-away to tie it up. Arthur tried to match the trifecta but was off to the right. Atchley then put Texas ahead with a dunk inside off a nifty Augustin feed.

Mario Chalmers came back to draw a foul atop the key and get to the line, hitting two free throws to tie it up again, 48-48.

A.J. Abrams and Brandon Rush then traded misses, and Atchley again soared in off a bounce pass feed for another two-handed slam, keeping the crowd awake.

Halftime, KU leads 42-38

Darnell Jackson hit one of two free throws before Texas tried to run out much of the rest of the first half clock. But the ‘Horns turned it over with 20 seconds to go in the half, giving KU the final shot.

Jackson missed a long jumper, sending KU to the break with a four-point lead. Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson combined for 24 of KU’s 42 first half points, with Arthur doing so on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor in a variety of ways.

Connor Atchley did most of the damage for Texas with all 12 of his points coming off of 4-of-4 three-point shooting. A.J. Abrams had 10 for the Longhorns. KU outrebounded Texas 23-13.

:55.8, first half, KU leads 41-38

Texas missed an inside two out of the half’s final T.V. timeout, and Darnell Jackson gave the lead back to KU with a mid-range two on the baseline, but Connor Atchley again struck the Jayhawks with a three-pointer, making him four-of-four so far from long range. Darrell Arthur scored yet again to give KU a three-point lead at 39-36 and giving him a team-high 12 points.

Texas called a 30-second timeout and taht led to a Gary Johnson mid-range miss. Brandon Rush soared for a defensive board and fed Darrell Arthur, who scored another acrobatic two inside to give KU its biggest lead yet at five points.

Gary Johnson scored two and drew contact underneath for Texas, but couldn’t connect on the charity, keeping KU up by three.

3:35, first half, KU leads 35-33

After Alexis Wangmene swatted a Sherron Collins driving layup, Cole Aldrich, fresh into the game, followed it up with a falling two of his own, pulling KU within one.

Clint Chapman answered for Texas with a two-pointer inside off a Justin Mason miss, but Brandon Rush finally pulled the Jayhawks even with the ‘Horns with a daring three-pointer from straight-up. Rush then pushed the Jayhawks ahead, following a Mario Chalmers layup miss in transition, giving the junior seven points after a slow start.

D.J. Augustin was the first to benefit from Texas being in the bonus, hitting two free throws to tie Texas back up with KU, and KU failed twice to regain the lead.

Mario Chalmers was able to prevent Texas from snatching the lead by drawing a charge on Augustin, and on the other end, Darnell Jackson slammed home his third field goal inside, putting KU up by two going into the next full break.

7:42, first half, Texas leads 29-26

Gary Johnson hit both free throw attempts out of the timeout, and Darrell Arthur then followed it by drawing contact inside against Connor Atchley to give himself a try at the line. He, too, hit a pair, giving him a team-high six points so far.

Texas then subbed mammoth sophomore Dexter Pittman in for Justin Mason, giving the Longhorns a huge lineup on the floor.

A trio of turnovers back-to-back-to-back took over the next few possessions before D.J. Augustin got himself to the line just before the midway point of the first half. He sunk a pair, making the two teams a combined nine-of-nine at the stripe so far.

Darnell Jackson tried to drive the baseline for a slam after that but missed long, the knock out of bounds kept possession with KU. Jackson took the ball from the wing and floated one up to the rim, which ultimately fell in. A.J. Abrams’ second mid-range jumper of the game kept Texas up four, but Darrell Arthur answered back with two more from the elbow, giving him eight points.

An offensive rebound on the other end went off Gary Johnson’s back, giving the ball to KU. Brandon Rush passed up a three look and kicked to Arthur for another elbow jumper, but A.J. Abrams again came back with a three – his second of the game.

Sherron Collins missed a three for KU, but the Jayhawks collected back-to-back offensive boards before Arthur missed from straight on, sending it back with Texas. D.J. Augustin missed inside and couldn’t capitalize.

11:50, first half, Texas leads 20-18

Darnell Jackson roughed up Gary Johnson and jarred the ball loose out of the timeout, but an awkward-looking layup attempt by Brandon Rush in transition gave the ball back to Texas. Gary Johnson then went to work against Sasha Kaun and scored a bucket. Sasha Kaun canceled it out with a follow-up dunk on the other end to another Rush miss.

An A.J. Abrams miss from three-point range straight away gave Darrell Arthur the chance to score for the second time, inside with a turnaround hook off the glass. He pulled KU back to within one at 17-16. Mario Chalmers was whistled for his second foul after the hoop.

Connor Atchley came down to hit his third three of the game in the corner opposite of his last one, pushing Texas ahead by four once again. Atchley then wiped a Darrell Arthur shot attempt off the glass and set up a three miss from A.J. Abrams. Sherron Collins sped down the floor and floated a lob for Brandon Rush, who laid in his first bucket of the game.

Gary Johnson was fouled underneath leading to another timeout, KU down by two.

15:20, first half, Texas leads 15-12

Texas controlled the game’s opening tip, with Damion James right away taking a feed from Justin Mason and cashing an 18-foot jumper.

KU’s answer after exhausting much of the shot clock against strong perimeter defense was a Mario Chalmers lob up high for Darrell Arthur, which was slammed home with two hands. Connor Atchley came back to cash a corner three for Texas, making it 5-2 early.

Russell Robinson missed a three for the Jayhawks, and off a backdoor feed on the other end, D.J. Augustin was fouled by Darrell Arthur and got to the line, where he hit both charities.

Mario Chalmers on the other end was then the first Jayhawk to truly penetrate the paint, flipping in a layup and drawing contact. He hit the free throw to pull KU within two, but A.J. Abrams answered back with a mid-range jumper.

A travel call against Darnell Jackson turned into a Damion James miss on the other end, James then was called for a foul against Jackson – his second – at the 16:44 mark, sending Jackson to the line. The KU senior hit both free throw attempts.

Abrams answered two more KU tallies with his first three of the game from the corner in front of the KU bench. Russell Robinson then answered back with a trey of his own, keeping KU close at 12-10.

Connor Atchley’s second three of the game was the result of Texas’ next trip up the floor, but KU came back to again silence the crowd with Sasha Kaun tossing a lob to Darnell Jackson. A foul on KU sent the game into its first full break with Texas up three.

Pregame

AUSTIN, Texas – One down, one to go. That’s the way it is right now for No. 3 Kansas University, who faces its second major backcourt challenge in a three-day stretch tonight in Austin, Texas, against the No. 11 Longhorns.

Texas (19-4 overall, 6-2 Big 12) is coming off a 71-65 overtime win Saturday on the road over Iowa State. The effort was paced by junior guard A.J. Abrams’ 25 points, including seven three-pointers. Abrams, who averaged 18.5 points per contest in two meetings with the Jayhawks in 2006-07, leads the ‘Horns with 72 treys made. He’s averaging 17.9 points per game this season, which is second on the team to sophomore D.J. Augustin, putting away 19.7 points and 5.4 assists a night. Augustin was the Big 12 preseason Player of the Year.

KU defensively wants to atone for allowing 90 points to Baylor in a 10-point win in Allen Fieldhouse Saturday night which looked more like a track meet at times than a basketball game. Baylor’s backcourt went nuts offensively, with Curtis Jerrells scoring 30 points, LaceDarius Dunn 25 and Henry Dugat 15. KU was able to combat it with consistency, with Darrell Arthur scoring 23 efficient points for the Jayhawks, Russell Robinson notching 22 on 14-of-15 free throw shooting and Sherron Collins exploding after halftime to finish off a 17-point, four-assist showing.

The x-factor for Texas may in fact beits big men. Sophomore Damion James is one of the league’s most improved players. After averaging 7.6 points and 7.2 boards a game as a freshman, those numbers are up to 12.7 and 10.6 a game this year, respectively. He’s also hit 17 three-point looks this year after converting just one as a frosh. The team’s most accurate deep marksman is fellow forward Connor Atchley, who is a 49.1 percent three-point shooter, yet leads the team in blocked shots with 42.

Tonight’s game tips at 8 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN and ESPNHD (Sunflower channels 33 and 233).