12/19/02
No. 10 Texas 97, McNeese State 59
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| T.J. Ford |
AUSTIN, Texas -- Brandon Mouton and Brad Buckman scored 15 points apiece, and 10th-ranked Texas snapped a two-game losing streak with a 97-59 victory Thursday night over McNeese State.
James Thomas added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns (6-2), playing their first home game since Nov. 27. Thomas recorded his sixth double-double of the season. T.J. Ford had 11 assists.
Eldridge Lewis and Greg Tucker had 13 points each for McNeese State (4-3). The Cowboys were the first opponent in a five-game homestand for Texas over the next three weeks.
The Longhorns had climbed to No. 2 - the highest ranking in school history - before consecutive losses to No. 9 Notre Dame and top-ranked Arizona.
Buckman got his first start in Sunday's loss at Arizona and fouled out with 4 points and two rebounds. It was a different story against McNeese State, as the 6-foot-8 freshman powered his way to 11 points and five rebounds by halftime.
Texas led 11-10 when Buckman started a 27-5 run with a pair of putbacks under the basket. Terrell Ross finished a fast break off a steal with a dunk, and Buckman capped the run with a 3-point play and another pair of strong moves inside to make it 38-15.
In the second half, Mouton scored 10 straight points, including two 3-pointers, in a run that put Texas up 71-47.
The Longhorns forced 21 turnovers, turning them into 26 points.
Texas' only problem was 3-point shooting, one of its most inconsistent areas this season.
A 35-percent shooting team from the arc coming in, Texas was just 5-of-19 and missed all 10 attempts in the first half.
