Hot shooting and excruciating defense helped the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team beat Utah 78-56 on March 20 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported. The game was a situation in which Texas gave the Utes, who were one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, a taste of their own medicine.
According to KVUE, freshman Aaliyah Moore led the Longhorns with 21 points. Texas didn't have any trouble making its shots in the first half as it went 71% from the floor, the station reported.
KVUE reported that Texas successfully kept Utah's normally prolific three-point shooting in check.
While the Utes had their way behind the arc against Arkansas in the first round, they struggled to connect from long distance against the Longhorns, the station reported.
"Everybody’s got a plan coming out," Schaefer said, KVUE reported. "But at the end of the day, our pressure usually wears on you a little bit."
Second-seeded Texas, which is in its second tournament under Schaefer, will face Ohio State on Friday (March 25) in Spokane, Washington.
According to KVUE, Moore, a Moore, Oklahoma native, used the first two games of the tournament to introduce herself as a proficient weapon for Texas after an ankle injury impeded her from scoring more than a dozen points during the regular season.
In the opening-round win over Fairfield, the station reported, Moore registered a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds and was nearly perfect from the field with 9-for-10 shooting.
The matchup against Utah marked the second time the Longhorns said goodbye to Erwin Center, KVUE reported.
The program's regular-season farewell to the 45-year-old venue nicknamed "The Drum" was a 65-50 victory over Oklahoma State earlier this month.
Next season, Texas will move to the new Moody Center a few blocks away.