| Freshman Devin Gibson had a double-double on Monday night. |
AUSTIN ? Freshman Devin Gibson posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, but D.J. Augustin’s 19 points and a strong second half helped No. 15 Texas defeat UTSA, 58-37, on Monday night at the Erwin Center.
UTSA ? playing without the services of seniors Andrew Francis (knee), Keith Spencer (concussion), junior Omar Johnson (leg) and freshman Russ Permenter (hand) ? fell to 1-1 on the year, while the Longhorns were playing their regular season opener.
Gibson led UTSA in scoring for the second consecutive game and pulled down a game-high 10 boards, while junior Travis Gabbidon pitched in nine points.
“We executed our game plan to near perfection in the first half,” second-year head coach Brooks Thompson said after the game. “We wanted to run the shot clock and shorten the game because we felt like that was our best chance to win. The guys played hard and as a staff, we’re very proud of our effort tonight against a top-20 team.”
Both teams got off to a slow start shooting the ball, as the Roadrunners limited to the Longhorns to just 3-of-10 from the floor through the first 8:44. Meanwhile, UTSA made just 2-of-10 from the field but only trailed 9-7.
A 3-pointer from the right wing by junior Orrin Greer and a follow of a fast-break layup by Gibson gave UTSA a 12-9 lead at the 10:15 mark, but Texas quickly answered with a Justin Mason trey from the left wing that started a 9-0 run.
UTSA used a 5-0 run capped by a Gibson three from the top of the key to cut the deficit to one with just under three minutes to play in the half, but Texas would take a 22-19 lead into the break.
The Roadrunners continued to hang tough early in the second half as a 3-pointer by junior Joey Shank made it 28-25 with 13:57 left.
The Longhorns used a 13-0 run during a 5:13 stretch in the second half to break the game open. Augustin converted three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot attempt to give the Longhorns their largest lead of the game, 36-25, with 11:15 remaining. Alexis Wangmene converted a 3-point play and Clint Chapman broke free for a fast break layup to push the advantage to 16 with just over nine minutes to play.
“That lull was the difference in the second half,” Gibson said. “We were hanging tough, but we had a four-minute lull where it went from being a six-point game to an 18-point game like that.”
A fade-away three from the right wing by Gabbidon ended the scoring drought at the 8:32 mark, but A.J. Abrams answered with a trey of his own that made it 44-28. That was as close as the Roadrunners would get as Texas went on to the 21-point win.
Mason (12) and Abrams (11) also reached double figures for the Longhorns, while Damion James grabbed nine rebounds.
The Roadrunners host Navy at the Alamodome at 7 p.m. on Saturday.