No. 20 Longhorns Upset No. 8 Kansas 79-76 Behind Timmy Allen's 24 Points
AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns came into Monday night's Big 12 showdown against Kansas with an underwhelming 2-4 record vs ranked opponents.
But behind an electric home crowd at the Erwin Center, No. 20 Texas (18-6, 7-4) pulled off its biggest win of the season with a 79-76 upset over the No. 8 Jayhawks (19-4, 8-2).
"It was as good of a crowd that we've played here," Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Texas forward Tre Mitchell injured his ankle in practice leading up to the game against Iowa State on Saturday. The UMass transfer didn't seem the least bit bothered on Monday night though, as he came off the bench and scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half.
Longhorns' forward Timmy Allen dominated in the midrange and in the paint all night long, leading all scorers with 24 points on 11 of 17 shooting with nine rebounds. He hit the go-ahead jumper with 20.9 remaining.
"We have higher goals then just beating someone on our home floor," Allen said. "Big win for us, but we got to keep chopping wood."
Kansas' Jalen Wilson was an efficient scorer throughout the game to counter Texas' front-court performance. He posted 18 points and 11 rebounds in an all-around effort.
USA Today Sports
USA Today Sports
Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji, the Big 12's leading scorer (20.8 points), was held to just 11 points on 4 of 7 from the field. He was held in check by Texas guard Courtney Ramey, who welcomed the challenge to defend one of the best players in the country.
"People like to say Courtney can't guard, but y'all see what he did out there," Allen said.
Texas coach Chris Beard called Ramey a "street dog" after the senior's gritty showing on defense.
"One individual performance you got to talk about, please, is Courtney Ramey's defense," Beard said.
Both teams jumped out to high-energy starts for the primetime matchup with defensive intensity and an agenda to get into the paint.
Texas' front-court dictated the energy of the first half. Christian Bishop had an impressive block and drawn charge, while Mitchell and Allen orchestrated the offense.
The air in the Erwin Center started to change around the 10-minute mark. Texas guard Andrew Jones took a steal all the way for a dunk that put the crowd in a frenzy. Jase Febres found his way into the lane soon after to cap a 10-0 Texas run as the Longhorns led 21-20 with eight minutes to play.
Texas guard Marcus Carr ended the half in electric fashion with a deep 3 over three Kansas defenders that fell through right at the buzzer to give Texas a 40-35 lead heading into the locker room. It was the Horns' first made 3 of the half after missing the previous 10 attempts.
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But the biggest stat through the first 20 minutes? The Longhorns had just three turnovers while forcing 10 Kansas turnovers. Texas had 17 points off these takeaways.
Mitchell led the way for Texas at the half with 12 points on eight made free throws. The Horns shot 13 of 15 at the line in the half compared to just 9 of 12 for Kansas.
Agbaji was held to just seven in the first half, but Wilson led the way for the Jayhawks with 10 points and six rebounds.
The second half got started with some battling in the paint between Mitchell and Kansas big man David McCormack. The two exchanged buckets before another Carr 3 gave Texas a 47-44 lead.
Wilson continued his productive night though, adding six more points to his total as Kansas took the lead 56-54, forcing a timeout from Beard. It was the first lead for the Jayhawks since it was 18-17 with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
Momentum started to swing Kansas' way when a 3 from Joseph Yesefu and a poster dunk from Braun put the Jayhawks up 63-60. To add insult, Bishop accidentally tipped in a Kansas basket while going up for a block.
But Allen continued his stellar second half with a 3-point play to tie things up 70-70 with five minutes remaining. Off a Mitchell miss, Allen secured a jump ball and possession for Texas, but the Horns were unable to capitalize despite two attempts at a 3.
Agbaji, who had been quiet all night long for Kansas, flew in for a put-back that gave the Jayhawks a 76-72 lead with 1:04 remaining.
It looked bleak for the Longhorns, but Mitchell banked-in a 3 that made it a 76-75 Kansas lead with 55 seconds. After a stop, Allen pulled up from the free throw line to give Texas the lead with 20.9 remaining. The crowd was as loud as it had been all night.
And with the noise at their backs on defense, the Longhorns pulled off a final defensive stop after a 7-0 run towards the finish line. Carr sank two free throws to put on the finishing touches as the fans rushed the court.
The Longhorns will take on the Baylor Bears (19-4, 7-3) in Waco this Saturday at 11 a.m. C.T.
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