Dec. 15, 2008
Complete notes 
#5/5 TEXAS (8-1) vs. TEXAS SOUTHERN (0-8)
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008 • 7:05 p.m. Central
Frank Erwin Center (16,755) • Austin, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised by the Longhorn Sports Network. Kevin Eschenfelder (pxp) and Reid Gettys (analyst) will call the action. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest only in the following markets in the state of Texas: Austin, San Antonio and markets west of those areas. The contest will be available outside the state of Texas on the ESPN Full Court package.
RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network and on XM Satellite Radio Ch. 231. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
INTERNET AUDIO: Listen to Texas Basketball games on subscription-based Yahoo! Sports College Broadcast.
SERIES: Texas leads, 2-0. Last meeting: Texas 98-61 (Nov. 28, 2007; Austin)
Lone Star State Dominance
Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin, the Longhorns have emerged as the dominant college basketball program in the state of Texas. The Horns have posted an 87-9 (.906) record against in-state foes during the Barnes era, including marks of 22-0 against Baylor, 16-5 against Texas A&M and 19-3 against Texas Tech.
Series vs. Texas Southern
Tuesday's contest marks the third meeting between Texas and Texas Southern and the third straight year that the two schools have met on the hardwood. In the first meeting, UT posted a 90-50 win in Austin on Nov. 28, 2006. The Horns followed with a 98-61 home victory last year (Nov. 28, 2007). Texas is 5-0 all-time against current members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The Horns recorded home victories against Southern and Prairie View A&M during the 2005-06 season, then registered home wins against Alcorn State and Texas Southern in 2006-07. UT also defeated Texas Southern last year in Austin.
Last Year in Austin
No. 8/8 Texas 98, Texas Southern 61. Nov. 28, 2007 (Austin).
D.J. Augustin posted a game-high 20 points, while Damion James added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Longhorns to a 37-point victory at the Erwin Center. Trailing 35-23 at the 3:41 mark, the Tigers knocked down a trio of threes in the final three minutes, including one by Anthony Ike with nine seconds left, to trim the gap to 39-32 at the break. Texas Southern stayed close in the opening 20 minutes behind its solid three-point shooting (7-of-14). Texas used an Augustin three-pointer, two free throws by Justin Mason, an A.J. Abrams layup and an Augustin jumper to build a 48-35 cushion at the 17:29 mark. Following a pair of free throws by Ike which trimmed the lead to 60-45, the Horns used a 10-0 spurt to build a 70-45 cushion with 9:30 left and seal the victory. The Longhorns converted 61.5% (24-of-39) from the floor in the second half while outscoring the Tigers by a 59-29 count in the final 20 minutes. UT posted a 24-8 advantage in bench scoring and a 46-10 margin in points in the paint. Mason (16 points, six rebounds) and Abrams (10 points) joined Augustin and James in double-figure scoring for the Horns. Ike and Abanobi each tallied 15 points to lead the Tigers, while Sollie Norwood added 14 points.
Horns at Home
Texas is in its 32nd year of play in the Frank Erwin Center. The Longhorns have posted an all-time record of 368-89 (.805) in the building. Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin, UT has recorded a 143-18 (.888) mark at the Erwin Center, including a 69-11 (.863) record in Big 12 Conference home contests. Texas has a 25-8 (.758) mark against AP Top 25 teams at home during the Rick Barnes era (current streak of nine straight wins). The Horns have won 15 straight and 97 of their last 103 home games.
Texas-Texas State Game Notes
· UT improved to 38-5 all-time against Texas State. The Horns have won 20 straight contests against the Bobcats.
· The Horns recorded nine blocked shots in the win. This marked the seventh consecutive and eighth time in the first nine games that Texas had at least six blocked shots.
· A.J. Abrams (30 points) reached the 30-point mark for the second time this year and fourth time in his career (118 games). He topped the 20-point mark for the fifth time this year and the 28th time in his career. He reached double figures in scoring for the eighth time this season and the 76th time in his career.
· A.J. Abrams set a career high in free throws made (11-of-12) and had a season-high four steals.
· Dexter Pittman (17 points, 10 rebounds) recorded his first double-double of the season and second of his career (74 games). He set career highs in points (17) and free throws made (7-of-7) and tied his career high in rebounding (10). Pittman reached double figures in scoring for the third time this year and fifth time in his career. He reached double digits in rebounds for the first time this season and second time in his career.
· Damion James (17 points) reached double figures in scoring for the ninth time this season and the 47th time in his career (82 games).
· Justin Mason (nine assists, no turnovers) set a career high in assists. He has posted at least six assists in five of the first nine contests. Mason has 22 assists against just three turnovers in his last three games.
Abrams on a Roll
A.J. Abrams enters Tuesday's contest after three consecutive solid offensive outings. In his last three games, Abrams is averaging 29.0 points per game while hitting 14-of-25 (.560) three-pointers and 25-of-30 (.833) free throws. After his 31-point effort against No. 12/9 UCLA (Dec. 4), Abrams registered 26 points on 8-of-18 FG (4-of-9 threes) and 6-of-9 FT while adding four assists without a turnover in the win against No. 15/12 Villanova at the Jimmy V Classic (Dec. 9). He followed with 30 points while hitting 5-of-7 threes and 11-of-12 free throws and added four steals in Saturday's win against Texas State.
Atchley's Block Party
Connor Atchley led the Big 12 Conference in blocked shots (80, 2.11 bpg) during his junior season. He recorded 42 blocked shots over the final 16 games (2.63 bpg) last year. Atchley has posted 17 blocks in the first nine games this season.
Mason Dishes the Rock
In the last three contests (two against Top 15 opponents), Justin Mason has recorded 22 assists against just three turnovers. Mason had six assists against just one turnover (along with five points, six boards and three steals) in the 68-64 home win against No. 12/9 UCLA (Dec. 4). He returned to post seven assists against two turnovers during the 67-58 win against No. 15/12 Villanova (Dec. 9) in New York at the Jimmy V Classic. Mason added a career-high nine assists without a turnover during Saturday's win against Texas State.
Pittman Sees Double
Dexter Pittman recorded his first double-double of the year and second of his career with his 17-point, 10-rebound effort in just 14 minutes during Saturday's win against Texas State. Pittman set career highs in points (17) and free throws made (7-of-7) and tied his career high in rebounds (10) and field goals made (5-of-8).
Pittman Producing
Dexter Pittman has started eight of UT's first nine games. Pittman is averaging 7.4 ppg (fifth on the team) and 3.9 rpg (fourth on the team) while converting 24-of-38 (.632) field goals and 19-of-25 (.760) free throws in just 10.8 minutes per contest. He reached double figures in scoring in back-to-back games for the first time in his career with consecutive 10-point outings against Stetson (Nov. 14) and Tulane (Nov. 18). Pittman had eight points (3-of-3 FG) in 15 minutes during the win against No. 15/12 Villanova (Dec. 9) in New York.
