Ducks Stumbles Against Texas

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) -Damion James had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 6 Texas to a 70-57 victory over Oregon on Wednesday in the third-place game of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

(PHOTO) Oregon's Tajuan Porter tries at drive around Texas's A.J. Abrams during the second half of their game in the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball tournament in Lahaini, Hawaii, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. Alabama won 58-48. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The Longhorns (4-1) lost 81-80 to No. 8 Notre Dame in the semifinals, a game that ended with A.J. Abrams' shot from beyond halfcourt bouncing off the front of the rim. The third-place finish matched their best in three appearances in the Maui Invitational.

Instead of having to play catch-up as they did in the loss to the Fighting Irish, Texas took command this time with a 21-1 run during which Oregon (3-3) couldn't make a shot from the field and barely connected from the free throw line. The versatile James, who was 9-of-11 from the field, scored the last seven points of the run on two free throws, a shot from the lane and a 3-pointer.

The Ducks missed all five shots from the field, went 1-of-8 from the line and turned it over five times in the run that gave the Longhorns a 23-8 lead with 7:09 left in the half.

Including the run, Oregon went 12 minutes between field goals in the first half, missing eight shots until Joevan Catron's 3-pointer brought the Ducks to 27-13 with 3:17 to go.

Texas led 31-20 at halftime as the Ducks shot 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from the field and were 6-of-16 at the line, including missing seven of their first eight.

Justin Mason added 18 points for the Longhorns and Gary Johnson had 12 points and eight rebounds.

Catron had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Ducks.

Oregon had a horrible first half in its 98-69 semifinal loss to No. 1 North Carolina, but it was able to stay closer in the second half of its second straight game against a Top Ten team as the Longhorns' biggest lead was 19 points.

Tajuan Porter, Oregon's 5-foot-6 guard, had 11 points and six rebounds. He was 3-of-6 from 3-point range, leaving him 7-of-26 for the tournament.

Texas finished third in the 2004 Maui Invitational and fifth in 1993.

This was Oregon's first appearance in the tournament.