Michigan’s threes are too much for Texas in NCAA regional quarterfinals

By Steve Habel/Horns Illustrated Associate Editor

MILWAUKEE – A simple fact of basketball is that for every three-point shot a team makes, it counts for a point more than those made inside the arc.

The added weight is supposed to make up for the harder degree of difficulty, but when a team shoots as well from outside as Michigan did in beating Texas 79-65 on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA tournament’s Midwest Region quarterfinals at Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center even domination of the game at close range makes little difference.

The Wolverines (27-8), seeded second in the NCAA’s Midwest bracket and a finalist in last season’s tournament, hit 14 three-point shots in the contest and needed just 10 made two-point baskets.

Seventh-seeded Texas (24-11), meanwhile, ruled the inside, making 19 two-pointers and [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] just four threes; UT had 26 points in the paint as compared to the Wolverines’ 14, outrebounded Michigan 41-30 and hit on 15 of its 16 free throws.

“People are going to talk about the threes,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “That’s not why we lost the game, because that’s what Michigan does. Hitting 14 threes can win a lot of games, but we told our guys, if they’re making 14 threes, what we can’t do is not rebound the way we want to and we can’t have turnovers.

“I don’t think 14 threes are what beat us,” Barnes added. “If you go back to the points off turnovers and some of those stick backs, that’s what beat us. We missed some shots that we have to make, but when you break it all down, they got 15 points off our turnovers.”

The Horns never led in this game after the 16:40 mark of the first half and would trail by as much as 18 points with seven minutes to play before halftime. Texas made a late run, cutting the Michigan lead to as little as six points with eight minutes remaining, but the Horns could not get over the hump.

Texas, which had no scholarship seniors on this year’s roster, ends its season with the loss in a game that it felt it could have won. After the game, Barnes lauded his team for putting the program back where it should be.

“We were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 this year; we won’t be picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 next year,” Barnes said. “I told (the team) what’s going to be fun a year from now is that they’ll we will be the hunted. All year they’ve believed in themselves. It’s going to be fun to watch these guys continue to grow.”

Noteworthy from the game and the season:

Texas is now 35-34 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.

Barnes now sports a 19-15 mark at Texas in NCAA Tournament games and an overall record of 21-21 in the Big Dance.

UT’s 15-of-16 (.938) showing from the free throw line marked the second-highest FT percentage by Texas in a NCAA Tournament game (.962 [25-of-26] vs. New Mexico State on March 16, 2007).

The Horns recorded a 14-to-9 assist-to-turnover ratio. In its two NCAA tourney games, UT posted a 31-to-18 assist-to-turnover ratio. In its four postseason contests, the Longhorns recorded a 68-to-39 assist-to-turnover mark.

The Longhorns out-rebounded 27 of their 35 opponents this season while posting double-digit rebound advantages in 12 games.

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