Graduate guard Marcus Carr recorded a game-high 29 points, but No. 5/6 Texas (19-5, 8-3 Big 12) fell 88-80 at No. 9/8 Kansas (19-5, 7-4 Big 12) on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse. This marked UT's fourth-straight contest against an AP Top 11 opponent (including three road games), a first in program history, and the Longhorns completed the stretch with a 2-2 mark.
Carr converted 10-of-21 field goals, including 3-of-8 threes, and 6-of-7 free throws in 36 minutes. Super senior Timmy Allen posted 18 points while hitting 6-of-12 field goals and 6-of-8 free throws in 32 minutes. Graduate Sir'Jabari Rice added 12 points (5-13 FG) and five rebounds in 25 minutes, while freshman Dillon Mitchell grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in 22 minutes.
Kansas scored the game's first six points in the opening two minutes. After a Gradey Dick jumper gave the Jayhawks a 10-6 advantage at the 15:34 mark, the Longhorns used a 6-2 spurt to even the score at 12-12 following a Rice three-point play with 14:28 remaining.
A Christian Bishop layup trimmed the margin to 15-14 at the 12:52 mark, but Kansas responded with a 15-2 run over the next four minutes to increase its cushion to 30-16 after a Dick three-pointer with 8:54 left. The Longhorns answered with an 8-2 spurt over the next two-and-a-half minutes to narrow the gap to 32-24 following an Allen jumper at the 6:15 mark.
The Jayhawks extended their lead to 36-24 after a KJ Adams jumper with 4:36 remaining, but Texas scored five-straight points to cut the deficit to 36-27 following a pair of Carr free throws at the 3:45 mark. Kansas again increased their cushion to 42-30 after a Dick layup with 2:20 left, before the Longhorns scored the final five points of the half including a Carr three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to trim the margin to 42-35 at the break.
Kansas opened the second half with a Dajuan Harris free throw, but Texas answered with an 8-0 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes to tie the score at 43-43 following a Carr jumper with 17:17 left. After another Carr jumper pulled the Longhorns to within 52-50 at the 13:27 mark, the Jayhawks used a 6-0 spurt to build a 58-50 cushion following a Harris layup with 12:15 remaining.
Texas trimmed the deficit to 66-60 after a Tyrese Hunter layup at the 6:06 mark, before Kansas answered with seven-straight points to take a 73-60 advantage following a pair of Dick free throws with 3:54 remaining. The Longhorns managed to cut the lead to six points (86-80) after a Carr three-point play with 23 seconds left, but that was as close as UT could get down the stretch.
Texas returns to the court on Saturday, Feb. 11 when it hosts West Virginia. Tip is set for 11 a.m. Central at Moody Center, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.