Kansas State guard Cartier Diarra, center, steals the ball from Texas guard Matt Coleman, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
lessKansas State guard Cartier Diarra, center, steals the ball from Texas guard Matt Coleman, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP
... moreTexas forward Mohamed Bamba (4) reacts after he scored against Kansas State forward Makol Mawien (14) and was fouled on the play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Texas forward Mohamed Bamba (4) reacts after he scored against Kansas State forward Makol Mawien (14) and was fouled on the play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018,
... moreKansas State forward Xavier Sneed (20) and Texas forward Dylan Osetkowski (21) chase the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
lessKansas State forward Xavier Sneed (20) and Texas forward Dylan Osetkowski (21) chase the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric
... moreKansas State forward Dean Wade (32) shoots past Texas guard Eric Davis Jr. (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Kansas State forward Dean Wade (32) shoots past Texas guard Eric Davis Jr. (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
AUSTIN – Cartier Diarra had already gotten the best of Mo Bamba once, flipping in a how-did-he-do-that baseline reverse layup over the endless arms of the nation's second-leading shot blocker.
So, Diarra thought, why not up the ante. A couple minutes later, the Kansas State guard found an open lane and darted into the paint, rising and cocking the ball back as the 6-foot-11 shot-blocker sized up his victim. Bamba rose, slapped the ball off the glass with what looked like minimal effort, and shot the fallen shooter a triumphant glare before sprinting the other way to convert a layup.
Those two divergent scenes captured the essence of a seesaw struggle that contained six ties and eight lead changes. In the end, Diarra and Kansas State (17-7, 6-5 Big 12) stood tall, capturing a 67-64 win over Bamba and Texas (15-9, 5-6) at the Erwin Center.
Texas built an early 14-7 lead largely on the back of efficient shots inside the paint, with Bamba and Jericho Sims doing the bulk of the heavy lifting inside. Eric Davis also provided an early spark with eight points in the opening seven minutes.
Then the Longhorns' offense devolved into a sloppy hodgepodge of turnovers and ill-advised shots as the Wildcats seized on the mistakes. Kerwin Roach couldn't convert from inside or out, going scoreless with three turnovers. Dylan Osetkowski produced the same line, though he took only one shot and looked atypically unengaged.
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But thanks to Bamba's 15 first-half points, Texas entered the half tied with KSU despite shooting 42 percent to the visitor's 54 percent.
Texas never truly thawed after falling into a cold spell, and Bamba, such a potent force in the first half, mysteriously sunk into anonymity over the game's final 20 minutes. KSU brought a more aggressive double team whenever Bamba touched it, leading the big man to settle for less contested outside jumpers. He scored just three more points in the second half on 1-of-5 shooting.
Osetkowski led a brief surge after his scoreless first half, scoring eight points during a 13-4 run that gave the Longhorns a 51-46 advantage. KSU shortly after answered with a 9-0 run of its own to seize a 59-54 lead as Roach limped to the bench to have his right ankle examined.
Roach returned late and played a pivotal role in UT's near comeback, knocking down a corner 3-pointer and keeping alive one offensive possession that resulted in a Davis three.
Texas had one final chance to force overtime, but Matt Coleman was unable to convert at the rim, effectively erasing all the momentum built up from last weekend's win over 12th-ranked Oklahoma.
"In this league, each game is kind of its own entity," Texas coach Shaka Smart said Monday. "A lot of coaches talk about just trying to go 1-0, but sometimes you're coming off a loss or sometimes you're coming off a win; our guys have done a good job being very motivated when we've come off a tough game like we did coming off of Texas Tech.
"But at the same time, to move forward in the standings and move up, you've got to string wins together. That's the opportunity we have on Wednesday, but it's not going to be easy."
As Smart warned his players, it was never going to be easy, but self-inflicted wounds made it all the more difficult. Now UT, with its NCAA tournament fate potentially imperiled, will head to Fort Wort for a meeting with TCU.
That won't be easy, either.