Men’s basketball offense struggles in 58-48 road loss to Kansas State
By Steve Lansdale
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Texas guard Matt Coleman scored a team-high 14 points and forward Dylan Osetkowski added 10, but the Longhorns struggled with their long-range shooting, hitting just two of 18 three-pointers in a 58-48 loss Wednesday at Kansas State’s Bramlage Coliseum.
The loss dropped UT’s record to 16-12 overall, and 6-9 against teams from the Big 12, while the Wildcats improved to 20-8 overall, and 9-6 in games against Big 12 teams.
Osetkowski also pulled down 10 rebounds to pick up his third double-double of the season.
On a night on which each team’s defense outperformed its offense, the Longhorns’ shooting woes did them in against the Jayhawks. KSU hit 20 of 48 (41.7) field goals, and went 3-for-13 (23.1 percent), while the Longhorns hit just 16 of 56 field goals (28.6 percent), including the 11.1 clip from three-point range. Osetkowski hit one of his five shots from long range, and guard Kerwin Roach II split his two attempts, but the rest of the UT shooters were unable to find their range, going a combined 0-for-10 from behind the arc.
The teams went to the locker rooms tied, 25-25, at halftime, but the Longhorns were unable to match their first-half shooting; after shooting 41.7 percent in the first half, they tailed off in the second, shooting just 6-of-32 (18.75 percent) from the floor after the intermission.
KSU had three players scoring in double digits Wednesday. Guard Barry Brown led all scorers with 16 points, while forward Dean Wade tallied 13 and guard Cartier Diarra added 12.
The Texas defense did its part, forcing 50 percent more Kansas State turnovers (12) than the Longhorns offered up (8). But the offense — especially Roach and fellow guard Eric Davis, who combined to hit just three of 21 field goals between the two of them — struggled to get untracked against the K-State defense.
The Longhorns return home to face Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. Saturday in a game that will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.
