Longhorns Stifle Bobcats Offense In 59-27 Victory

Coach Danny Kaspar incorporated a different strategy heading into this year’s matchup against the Texas Longhorns. 

Kaspar’s goal was to limit Texas’ offensive possessions by taking calculated shots late in the shot clock. 

The change in philosophy is in response to last season’s performance, when the Bobcats blitzed the Longhorns for 64 field goal attempts in a 85-53 loss. 

“We tried to run-and-gun with them last year and we got blasted,” Kaspar said. “This time we tried to slow it down and we got beat again.”

The end result, however, was the same — another 32-point loss. Texas State tallied 27 points, the fewest points Texas has allowed since Houston YMCA scored 23 points in 1946. 

“Our game plan was to not let them score a lot of points,” Kaspar said. “Our game plan was certainly to score more than 27 points. 21.5 percent is the worst any team of mine has shot. Our offense just stunk it up tonight, the worst any one of my teams has performed offensively speaking.”

Kavin Gilder-Tilbury, sophomore forward, converted two consecutive 3-pointers in the second half. Then, Kaspar said, the Bobcats wore down.

Texas finished the game on a 15-7 run to seal the 59-27 victory.

“You think you have a shot and here they come and you don’t,” Kaspar said. 

Texas exerted its size advantage, out rebounding Texas State by 24 rebounds. Emani Gant, junior forward, was pressed into defending junior center Cameron Ridley, who registered 14 points and four rebounds.

“We certainly made Cameron Ridley look better than he has looked in the last several weeks,” Kaspar said. “We just did not have the horses they did inside.”

The Longhorns complimented Ridley with 6-foot-10 junior center Prince Ibeh and 6-foot-11 freshman forward Myles Turner, a duo that combined for 14 points and 11 rebounds. 

With their length, Kaspar anticipates the Longhorns advancing to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament—at least.

“In my 24 years of coaching, I’ve never faced a team with that kind of size,” Kaspar said. “They can make up some ground pretty quick. They are so long and big that they capture your kids attention. But we have to be tougher than that and play better than that.”

The team completed the first half, having set another record — but for the wrong reason. 

Texas State’s nine points was the fewest in one half against Texas since the 1949-50 season.

“I thought our team played pretty good defense,” Kaspar said. “We just couldn’t score.”

Texas boasts the nation’s fourth best defense, allowing 86.7 points per 100 possessions. Attacking the defense, Kaspar said, required patience and ball movement. 

Missing open shots didn’t help. Kaspar noted that he’s “never had a team that has missed as many open shots that they did tonight.”

If there is any silver lining in the double-digit loss, point to the defensive end. Texas State held the eighth-ranked Longhorns to nine points below their season average.

Texas committed 19 turnovers in the win, the second-highest mark this season. 

“I told my guys that I’m going to pat you on the back for the defensive end as far as defensive performance is concerned,” Kaspar said. “59 points against Texas in their own gym is not something we can sneer at.”

Quixem Ramirez is the sports editor for the University Star where this story was originally published. It is reprinted here through a news partnership between the University Star and the San Marcos Corridor News | @CorridorNews |  @Corridor_Sports