Texas proves they are the team to beat in Fort Worth with a win over Kentucky

Texas women's basketball continued its NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament journey this afternoon as it took on the Kentucky Wildcats in Fort Worth, Texas. It felt like another home game, with the arena packed to watch Madison Booker and the Longhorns fight for a chance to take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite 8 on Monday. Texas did what Texas does best and sent Kentucky packing, as the Longhorns won 76-54 and advance to the next round.

Before I continue, Kentucky doesn't need to hang its head in shame. They had a tremendous season and deserve a lot of credit for getting to the Sweet 16 in such a tough conference. I know they will be back next season, looking to knock off Texas. The Longhorns set another tournament record, recording their largest lead ever in a tournament game.

Here are four takeaways from this afternoon's victory over the Wildcats:

1. Made sure to not look ahead

Texas was definitely not looking past Kentucky today. That was an amazing start to the game for the Longhorns, coming out of the gate hot in the first period. They definitely took advantage of the Texas crowd at Dickies Arena and sent a message to Kentucky that your tournament run is coming to an end today. Being up 29-11 at the end of the first quarter is something every Texas fan should be happy about.

2. Having state court advantage

Being able to play at Dickies Arena for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 really impacted how the Longhorns tamed the Wildcats. It feels like being at the Moody Center, since the University of Texas has such a large alum base in the area. Think of it as basically playing four home games before the Final Four. That will help out when the Longhorns take on Michigan in the next round of the NCAA Tournament. Texas should be warmed up for that game as well.

3. Let's not turn the ball over

One thing the Longhorns need to work on is avoiding turnovers. The Longhorns turned the ball over 16 times, which is a pretty high number in the NCAA Tournament. With the Longhorns advancing to play the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite 8, possessions are going to be more important down the stretch of the game. Texas won't know how many of them they will have against Michigan, you have to make sure to capitalize on your possessions moving forward.

4. Stay humble

I agree that was a massive win over the Kentucky Wildcats, but Texas needs to stay humble in the Elite 8 against Michigan. They have a really good team and did well in the Big Ten this season. It's not going to be a cake walk like it was against the Wildcats this afternoon. While this was a massive win for the Longhorns, they need to expect games to be a lot closer moving forward. As the teams dwindle, so do the massive wins Texas will see in the tournament.