Samuels' Double-Double Paces Kansas State's Upset Over Texas

Sports News - January 19th, 2010 - Written By Bryan

For the second week in a row, there will be a change at the top of the College Basketball Standings.

Threatened by a packed house at Bramlage Coliseum, the Texas Longhorns learned just how lonely it can be as the no. 1 team visiting a conference opponent with a whole lot to gain.

Texas shot a near season-low 36-percent from the field, and was doomed by a late 11-1 run by the Kansas State Wildcats, and fell 71-62 on Monday night.

Kansas State, fueled by a raucous Manhattan crowd, leaped to a staggering 36-22 headstart on Jamar Samuels' 15 first-half points off the bench, then fended off a quaint rally by the Longhorns to give the Wildcats their third-ever win against a top ranked team. Texas actually won the second-half but fell behind so far in the first half, by ten at the break, that it really didn't matter.

The postgame celebration? Fans remained in their seats cheering instead of pouring onto the court like previous upsets.

"Teams rush floors when they do something phenomenal," forward Curtis Kelly told the Associated Press. "It's flattering. They knew we were going to win. They didn't have to rush the floor because they believed in us."

Kelly was one of four Kansas State players with double-digit points and also grabbed eight rebounds.

But Texas was plagued by a forgettable night from the free-throw line, where they shot a combined 9-for-22. Those points alone would have eliminated the deficit, making both team's 30-percent shooting from the field a wash.

Damion James and Dexter Pittman combined to shoot 6-for-19 from the stripe.

The Wildcats weren't exactly sizzling from the field, though, and shot only 1-for-12 from the three-point line. But Samuels finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Rodney McGruder added several baskets down the stretch, which was more than enough as the Longhorns struggled to break Kansas State's man defense.

Texas' 36-percent performance was only moderately better than last Saturday when it hung on in overtime to beat Texas A&M. The loss means Kentucky will take over the top spot in next weekend's polls, barring any setback, and is now the only unbeaten team in the country.

"We definitely played well enough defensively to win this game, but offensively, in the last two games, it's hurt us," said Texas coach Rick Barnes.

The Longhorns turned the ball over 10 times by halftime and looked to be just a mere shell of themselves after beating both halves of last year's championship game. They pounded North Carolina on a neutral site, then easily beat Michigan State at home and looked to be the most comprehensive team in the country.

But after ascending to the no. 1 ranking, they couldn't have arrived in a more-hostile environment than here.

"I think they guarded pretty well, but we missed some wide open layups and some crucial free throws that could have turned the game around," Texas guard Justin Mason told the AP.