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).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Texas lost to South Carolina 74-57 in last year\u2019s national semifinals.<\/p>\n
Here are three takeaways from the win:<\/p>\n
Longhorns\u2019 defense dominates<\/p>\n
During the regular season, no SEC team allowed fewer points per game than the Longhorns, and while their offense struggled at time times Monday \u2014 they didn\u2019t make a 3 in the first half \u2014 their defense stood firm.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
Sophomore guard Olivia Olson led the Wolverines in scoring this season (19.2 points per game) but wasn\u2019t able to find success against the Longhorns, scoring 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting.<\/p>\n
Madison Booker powers Longhorns\u2019 offense<\/p>\n
Booker is one of college basketball\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Booker finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and two steals and was selected Most Outstanding Player of Fort Worth Regional 3.<\/p>\n Rori Harmon triple-double watch<\/p>\n Texas graduate student guard Rori Harmon stuffed the stat sheet in the team\u2019s Elite Eight win over Kentucky and did more of the same against Michigan.<\/p>\n Harmon was the biggest playmaker, leading the Longhorns with 13 assists.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s lead in the double digits.<\/p>\n She finished the game with seven points and seven rebounds with the 13 assists.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n