Texas Defeats Tennessee in Final Seconds

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team defeated the Tennessee Volunteers, 80-76, in what can only be describe as the most exciting women’s basketball game played in the Moody Center this season.   

“It was a heck of a game.  I think our players would agree, not our best night.  And yet still found a way to win.  And that’s a great sign,” said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer.  “I though down the stretch we really executed some good stuff offensively, and we found a way to have enough stops defensively.” 

The game had fans sitting on the edge of their seats, with the lead changing 15 times and the score tied 15 times. Despite the nail-biting going on among the fans, Schaefer was in his comfort zone. 

“At the media (timeout), with four-something (minutes) to go, I told them it was tied and I looked them and said man I love this stuff.  I just told them, I love it,” said Schaefer.  “You got to embrace where we’re at in the game.  The cream rises to the top, right?  This is where you want to be.  You put yourself in this position and now you got to go and do it.  You got to go close it out and you got to finish the game.  I though they did that.” 

Madison Booker led Texas with 26 points, playing all 40 minutes of the game.  Booker is averaging 25.3 points per game over her last three games and is shooting 56.6% from the field in those games.  She has now scored 20 or more points in nine games this season. 

Taylor Jones notched the games only double-double, with 21 points and 14 rebounds.  Jones pulled down nine offensive rebounds, which was more than the entire Tennessee team.  The double-double was the 24th in Jones’ career.   

The Longhorns held a 25-5 advantage in second chance points in large part to Jones’ performance.  Texas has held opponents to single digit second chance points in 19 of their 21 games this season. 

Both Texas (32-64) and Tennessee (27-54) shot 50% from the field, but the Vols maintained a distinct advantage from beyond the arc 9-17 (53%) to Texas’s 1-6 (17%). 

Ruby Whitehorn led Tennessee with 21 points and Zee Spearman put up14 points. 

Shay Holle was honored prior to the game tonight for setting a Texas program record for wins in the NCAA Era and now has been part of 128 Texas wins.