AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Matt Coleman III scored 14 points and Texas used suffocating second-half defense as the Longhorns earned their first Big 12 win of the season, 64-50 over Kansas State on Saturday night.
Texas led 31-27 at halftime, then held the Wildcats scoreless for the first eight minutes of the second half. The Longhorns forced four shot-clock violation turnovers before Kansas State scored its first basket of the half. And those points came on a basket interference call against Texas.
That gave the Longhorns’ struggling offense all the chance it needed to extend the lead and put the game away. Courtney Ramey made consecutive 3-pointers, then fed Andrew Jones a nifty lob pass for a layup that put the Longhorns ahead 43-27.
Ramey finished 11 points and Jase Febres added 10 points for the Longhorns.
The win allowed Texas (11-4, 1-2) to avoid just its third 0-3 start in the Big 12 and its first in six years.
Cartier Diarra scored 14 to lead Kansas State (7-8, 0-3).
BIG PICTURE
Kansas State: Kansas State played the game after long delays getting to Austin. Bad weather across the Midwest grounded their flight on Friday night and the team didn’t get to town until about four hours before tipoff.
Texas: The Longhorns were exceptional on 3-pointers under pressure. Texas made four that barely beat the shot clock and didn’t even go through the rim before the horn sounded. That included an off-balance shot by Kamaka Hepa that ended the first half.
UP NEXT
Kansas State hosts No. 22 Texas Tech on Tuesday.
Texas plays at Oklahoma State on Wednesday.