Longhorns Dominate William & Mary in NCAA Tournament Opener

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team kicked off their NCAA Tournament campaign with an emphatic 105-61 victory over William & Mary on Saturday at the Moody Center. The dominant performance saw Texas improve to a remarkable 32-3 on the season and maintain their perfect 16-0 home record at the Moody Center.

Madison Booker led the charge, notching her tenth career double-double with an impressive 20 points and 14 rebounds. She proved to be a consistent scoring threat, marking her 28th double-figure scoring game and 13th 20-plus point outing of the season.

The Longhorns established control early, with Booker and Taylor Jones combining for 13 points in the first quarter, ending the period with a 23-18 lead. By halftime, Texas’s stifling defense, highlighted by seven steals, pushed their advantage to 50-33. Booker led all scorers with 12 points at the break, while Kyla Oldacre grabbed six rebounds.

The second half saw Texas extend their dominance. Booker’s jumper ignited a 13-2 run to close out the third quarter, putting the Longhorns up 77-44. Taylor Jones also showcased her defensive prowess with two consecutive blocks. In the final period, Texas held the Tribe to zero field goals in the last 2:37 minutes, with strong contributions from Jordan Lee (13 points) and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (10 points) securing the comprehensive 105-61 win.

Five Longhorns finished in double figures, with Jones adding 19 points and Oldacre contributing a double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds. The team’s collective effort was evident, out-rebounding William & Mary 51-26 and outscoring them 56-22 in the paint. The bench also chipped in a significant 35 points.

The Longhorns will now prepare to face the Illinois Fighting Illini in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.