MEN’S BASKETBALL: Miami falls to Texas, 75-72

For more on the Canes second round defeat, stay with The Miami Hurricane or check out “Corey’s Stories: Dispatches from the NCAA tournament” at blogs.themiamihurricane.com.

UPDATED 6:03 P.M. 3/23/08

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team’s comeback effort from 16 points down fell just short, as the Texas Longhorns eliminated the Canes, 75-72, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Little Rock, Ark. Sunday.

“I think our kids didn’t quit,” Hurricanes coach Frank Haith said. “Second half I thought we played better defense and we just ran out of time.”

Texas guard A.J. Abrams finished with a game-high 26 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting. D.J. Augustin, the Longhorns’ leading scorer, ended with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting but missed one of two free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining to give the Hurricanes a last chance. Anthony King’s full-court pass fell short and time expired.

“We knew they were going to come back and fight back and we just had to hold on,” Augustin said.

Texas shot 56 percent from three-point range in the first half, but was held to 8-of-23 field goals in the second half, helping the Hurricanes cut into an 11-point halftime deficit.

Jack McClinton finished with 18 points but didn’t score in the second half until 5:13 as part of a 25-10 Hurricanes run that ignited the neutral-site crowd in favor of UM.

“You expect it,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “I don’t care where you play, people love to see the darker uniforms win.”
Haith said he was proud of his team’s effort in the comeback.

He added: “You got to give them credit for how hard they competed.”

Corey Erb may be contacted at c.erb@umiami.edu.

POSTED 4:35 P.M. 3/23/08

Miami fell to the Texas Longhorns in the second round of the NCAA tournament Sunday, 75-72.

The Canes were down by as much as 17 in the second half, but a furious comeback gave Miami a chance to tie with the final shot. However, the inbounds pass was tipped, and the clock ran out on Miami’s season.

For more on the Canes second round defeat, stay with The Miami Hurricane or check out “Corey’s Stories: Dispatches from the NCAA tournament” at blogs.themiamihurricane.com.

Matthew Bunch may be contacted at m.bunch@umiami.edu