MIDWEST REGIONAL AT WICHITA, KAN. : Michigan Lifts Itself at the Line, 84-79

Juwan Howard scored 34 points, and Michigan made 10 of 11 free throws in the final 1:27 to beat Texas 84-79 Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Midwest Regional.

The third-seeded Wolverines, 10-for-10 from the line in a 78-74 overtime victory over Pepperdine in the first round, need two more wins for their third consectuive trip to the Final Four.

Michigan (23-7) plays Maryland in the Regional semifinals at Dallas on Thursday. The Terrapins upset Massachusetts 95-87.

Jimmy King, a 68-percent foul shooter, made a free throw for a 75-70 lead with 1:27 left, but the Longhorns closed to 76-75 with 55 seconds remaining on a three-point play by slump-ridden B.J. Tyler.

King made two free throws for a 78-75 lead with 41 seconds to go, and 15 seconds later made two more for an 80-75 advantage.

Jalen Rose was 4-for-4 at the line during the final 87 seconds.

The third-seeded Wolverines, who lost to Duke and North Carolina in the last two championship games, refused to let the quick-hitting Longhorns (26-8) dictate their run-and-gun style of play and made full use of the inside muscle and height advantage of the 6-foot-9 Howard and the 6-8 Rose.

It was only the second loss in 21 games for Texas, the lone team in the tournament from the Southwest Conference.

Tyler, the Southwest Conference player of the year, was 6-for-24 following a 2-for-13 slump against Western Kentucky on Thursday night.

During Tyler’s best stretch, he made three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt, then converted a three-point play. The Longhorns came back from a five-point deficit and took a 52-48 lead with 14:55 to go.

The lead changed hands five times in the next eight minutes, with Howard scoring three straight baskets for the Wolverines.

Howard also had 18 rebounds for Michigan, which got 17 points from Rose and 15 ponts and 14 rebounds from Ray Jackson.

Texas, which tied its school record for victories, got 22 points from Tyler, 13 from Roderick Anderson and 16 from Terrence Rencher. Center Albert Burditt, who had 26 points in the first-round victory over Western Kentucky, scored eight points.

Howard, working mostly against former Wolverine-turned-Longhorn Rich McIver, made three straight baskets on a 9-1 spurt that gave Michigan a 28-20 lead.

Texas came back with a 10-0 run, and led 32-30 after Burditt’s basket.