Texas Basketball (4-1) defeated Syracuse (3-1) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday evening to advance to the finals of the UKG Legends Classic. Senior forward transfer Arthur Kaluma paved the way for the Longhorns, delivering a double-double which included 16 points and 10 rebounds and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw stripe. Kaluma and the ‘Horns received support from true freshman Tre Johnson who scored 16 points, and junior Chendall Weaver who contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Longhorns started the game with a 9-0 run to take a commanding lead early on and led by as much as 16 points with 2:01 remaining in the first half. Syracuse would make the next two shots, cutting the lead to 41-30 at the half. The Orange mounted a comeback in the second half, taking their first lead of the night at the 4:07 mark thanks to a free throw by Eddie Lampkin. Texas would hold on for a 70-66 win after Tre Johnson hit six straight free throws down the stretch.
Junior guard JJ Starling led Syracuse in scoring with 16 points, followed by senior center Eddie Lampkin with 14 points and six assists. Free throw shooting ultimately won this game for Texas, as they went 12-14 from the line. Syracuse managed to convert just 9 of 18 free throw attempts.
The win advances Rodney Terry and the Longhorns to the championship game against Saint Joseph’s on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CST on ESPNU.
