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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Maurice Evans delivered as promised.
The preseason Big 12 newcomer of the year scored 17 points --
including four straight that gave Texas a late tie -- as the
Longhorns beat California 57-54 Wednesday night in the second
round of the Preseason NIT.
|  | | Texas' Brandon Mouton and Cal's Joe Shipp fight for a loose ball in the first half of the Longhorns' 57-54 win. |
Texas (2-0) advanced to the semifinals next week in New York's
Madison Square Garden. The Longhorns will play the winner of Friday
night's Duke-Villanova game.
Chris Owens tied a school record with eight blocks and hit a
turnaround jumper with 50 seconds left for the winning basket.
Evans averaged nearly 23 points as a sophomore at Wichita State
two seasons ago. He sat out last season after transferring and has
struggled to find his scoring touch in his return.
Evans was 7-of-17 from the floor and 2-of-8 from 3-point
range against California, but hit two big baskets in crunch time.
His putback in the lane made it 53-51, and his jumper with 1:49
to play tied it before Owens hit the game winner.
"I was shaking off the rust from sitting out a year,
inch-by-inch, game-by-game," Evans said. "We'll see if I can
return to what I'm used to. I'm just going to make my presence felt
however I can."
California (1-1) helped guarantee Texas' trip to the Big Apple
with several miscues in the final minutes.
A bad inbounds pass at halfcourt after Owens' basket forced Cal
to use a timeout and take it back in from under its own net. Sean
Lampley then drew a foul, but hit just one of two free throws to
make it 55-54.
Texas' Chris McColpin, an 83-percent career free-throw shooter,
then hit both ends of a 1-and-1 with 15 seconds left for the final
margin.
Cal had one last chance for a tie but Joe Shipp's 3-point
attempt over two defenders was well off the mark. The Golden Bears
got to the foul shooting bonus with 10 minutes left to play but
made just four of seven free throws in that time.
Owens, who had a career-high 28 points in Texas' 79-65 victory
over Navy on Monday, finished with just nine points against the
Golden Bears but made up for it on the defensive end. His eight
blocks tied Texas' single-game record set last season by Chris
Mihm.
"I was impressed with his effort defensively," Cal coach Ben
Braun said. "To be 3-for-11 and still be in the game defensively,
that's a competitor."
The Longhorns forced 19 turnovers. The Golden Bears committed
just seven turnovers in an overtime win over Mississippi State on
Monday.
"Our defense really bailed us out," Texas coach Rick Barnes
said.
Ryan Forehan-Kelly led California with 13 points.
Braun complained that his team had to travel to Texas for the
second round game after the Golden Bears drew about 3,000 more fans
than Texas did in the Longhorns' season opener.
The Texas crowd was sparse again Wednesday night with just 6,459
in the 16,100-seat Frank Erwin Center.
"Everybody in this room knows how I feel about it. I'm not
going to revisit it," Braun said.
The crowd was small but effective.
"The crowd made a difference for us tonight," Evans said.
"Every time we made a run they were there for us."
Now Texas goes on the road for the first time this season. The
Longhorns were easily motivated for this Thanksgiving trip away
from home, Barnes said.
"I told them the other night, 'You can spend five days in New
York and play a couple of basketball games or spend two weeks here
practicing,' " Barnes said.
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