Feb. 14, 2013
Texas 89, Iowa State 86 (2OT) - Recap, Highlights
Dalton Pool, Texas Media Relations
AUSTIN, Texas -- Before the game, all the talk was about the return of sophomore point guard Myck Kabongo. But by the end of Wednesday night's contest against Iowa State, all the Longhorns were worthy of praise.
Ten different players played for Texas, and all 10 players scored, including five in in double digits. The Longhorns needed contributions from everyone on the floor to outlast the Cyclones 89-86 in double overtime at the Frank Erwin Center.
Kabongo did not disappoint with 13 points, seven assists and four rebounds, but when he fouled out with just less than two minutes to go in the first overtime, the Longhorns found themselves in a familiar position -- a close game down the stretch without their court general.
This time it was different though. Individuals stepped up, big-time shots were made, and Texas came together to win as a team.
"I told our guys after the game that tonight there were a lot of guys that showed individual toughness," said head coach Rick Barnes. "It was a great win for us and it was hard fought."
Connor Lammert had his best night as a Longhorn with career highs in points, assists, blocks and minutes played. Lammert ended the night with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 40 minutes of action.
With Kabongo in the starting lineup, Javan Felix played the sixth-man role and had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. Cam Ridley, Demarcus Holland and Prince Ibeh all contributed on defense in key stretches for the Longhorns.
Jonathan Holmes made his return from injury, and while he dealt with foul trouble all night, his dunk with 2:27 left in regulation is what ignited the Longhorns players and fans and started the Texas comeback.
Ioannis Papapetrou continued to show his growth into a leadership role for the Longhorns. Papi recorded 14 points and eight rebounds in a career-high 43 minutes. His three-point basket with 1.7 seconds left in regulation, off a perfectly-execution inbounds play, tied the game and forced overtime.
However, perhaps the most impressive contributions came from Julien Lewis and Sheldon McClellan. The pair of sophomore guards, who along with Felix have led the Longhorns in playing time all year, saw their roles drastically reduced for much of the game. Lewis didn't even see extended action until the 13:22 mark of the second half. However, when overtime came around and Texas needed players to step up after Holmes and Kabongo fouled out, Lewis and McClellan were ready for the challenge.
Lewis hit two crucial 3-pointers in the first overtime to help the Longhorns build a five-point lead.
Then when Iowa State stormed back to force a second overtime, McClellan took over the game. He scored all 10 of Texas' points in the second overtime period and secured a huge offensive rebound that helped Texas take the lead with 45 seconds left. Then with 30 seconds remaining, he came up with a steal that allowed Texas to stretch its lead to three. McClellan ended the game with 18 points and eight rebounds in just 26 minutes of play.
"I am really proud of them," Barnes said. "We have something to work with. We are not anywhere near where we need to be, but it's a start."
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