FORT WORTH
Top-seeded Texas women’s basketball left little question as to who the best team was Monday night, grabbing a 14-point lead off the tip to set the tone in a 77-41 win over No. 2 Michigan in the Elite Eight at Dickies Arena.
Texas (35-3) opened the game on a 20-6 run, led 34-21 at halftime and extended the lead to 40 in the fourth quarter against the Wolverines (28-7).
The Longhorns will make their second straight trip to the Final Four and will play UCLA on Friday, April 3 at a time to be determined.
Texas lost to South Carolina 74-57 in last year’s national semifinals.
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Longhorns’ defense dominates
During the regular season, no SEC team allowed fewer points per game than the Longhorns, and while their offense struggled at time times Monday — they didn’t make a 3 in the first half — their defense stood firm.
In the first half, the Longhorns allowed only 21% shooting from the field, and the Wolverines (7-for-33) only had one more made basket than Texas star junior Madison Booker (6-for-9).
Sophomore guard Olivia Olson led the Wolverines in scoring this season (19.2 points per game) but wasn’t able to find success against the Longhorns, scoring 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Madison Booker powers Longhorns’ offense
Booker is one of college basketball’s most prolific midrange shooters. She ranks second all-time in Longhorns history in career NCAA Tournament points and had her talents on full display in the first half Monday.
Booker had 15 first-half points, scoring mainly off midrange pull-ups but also using catch-and-shoot jumpers and getting to the line against the Wolverines, who had no answer for the first Team All-SEC honoree.
Booker finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and two steals and was selected Most Outstanding Player of Fort Worth Regional 3.
Rori Harmon triple-double watch
Texas graduate student guard Rori Harmon stuffed the stat sheet in the team’s Elite Eight win over Kentucky and did more of the same against Michigan.
Harmon was the biggest playmaker, leading the Longhorns with 13 assists.
When Texas missed its first eight shots out of halftime, Harmon who hit a 3-pointer, the first of the game for the Longhorns, to get their offense back on board and help keep the team’s lead in the double digits.
She finished the game with seven points and seven rebounds with the 13 assists.
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Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.