Why Texas' Second-Half Defense Proved to be a Challenge for UConn

The Texas Longhorns were dealt a difficult task on Friday night, having to travel up to Hartford, Connecticut, to take on the No. 5-ranked UConn Huskies at the PeoplesBank Arena. As the Longhorns quickly approach conference play, a matchup against one of the best teams in the country would be a good barometer for where they stand.

In the end, despite keeping the ball game within a winnable margin, the Longhorns were not able to pull off the upset in what would've undoubtedly been their best win of the season, and the Huskies were able to close out the matchup 71-63 on their home floor.

Texas managed to keep things close with the UConn lead being cut down all the way to just five with a few minutes left to go on Friday night, and while the Longhorns were on the losing end of the matchup, one aspect of their play proved to be a difficult challenge for the Huskies to deal with.

Texas' Second-Half Defensive Shift

Texas Longhorns Basketball UConn Huskies — Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder (28) shoots against Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) during the second half at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

With a new head coach, coaching staff, and an influx of new players to the program undoubtedly there would undoubtedly need to be a growing period for the Longhorns to adapt and grow as a team.

And while the Longhorns have shown those growing pains throughout the first part of the season, Sean Miller ripped into the Longhorns' defensive efforts after their game against the Southern Tigers.

"Look, we have problems on defense," Miller said Monday. "Unless we get better, unless me, us as a staff, solve some of these problems, we're not going to be good enough. ... Man, it's not good. Our fouling is not a thing of aggression. It's a sign of weakness. Fouling negates effort, negates hustle. ... We have to play defense without fouling. It's a major problem."

And it seems like Miller did put those words into action right away. Despite the loss to the Huskies, the Longhorns were a lot better defensively, especially in the second half, holding the Huskies to under 30 points.

Throughout the first half of the game, the Longhorns looked the same way they've been all season, with missed assignments leading to easy baskets for the opposing team. And it proved on the stat sheet with the Huskies shooting 17 for 25 from the field, shooting a near 70 percent while also shooting nearly 60 percent from three-point range.

Coming out of the locker room, there was a different intensity for the Longhorns on the defensive side of the court, limiting UConn to just 12 made shots on its 28 attempts and two of nine from beyond the arc.

The Longhorns were active defensively, forcing nine turnovers by the Huskies in the second half, to go along with Texas having five steals and three blocks in the final 20 minutes of the game. And while it was not enough to manage the upset, the Longhorns might have turned a page on their defensive efforts.