After a pretty decisive win on Friday afternoon against the Missouri State Lady Bears, Texas women's basketball took on the Oregon Ducks this evening.
The Longhorns made sure to make it a game to remember by winning 100-58 over the Ducks this evening. With the win, the Longhorns now migrate north to Fort Worth for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Talk about getting two more "home games" on the schedule for the season.
I'm sure that Vic Schaefer is going to have a word or two with the ladies after the game. They had kind of a rough start, but the Ducks got out to an early lead. Luckily, Oregon's offense hit a bit of a snag in the first quarter, allowing Texas to regain control. The Ducks played well and will remain a pretty good women's basketball team going forward.
Here are four takeaways from today's win over the Ducks:
1. Oregon came to play this evening
I knew Oregon wasn't going to go away that easily. The Ducks got out to an early lead against the Longhorns before Texas was able to take over the game. This will benefit the Longhorns down the road when they get to Fort Worth for the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8. I'm sure Schaefer wished the Longhorns had a better start to the game, but you have to take what the other team gives you. I thought the Longhorns did a good job of not overreacting to trailing early in the game.
2. Madison Booker decided to take control of the game
Madison Booker had 14 points at the end of the first quarter tonight. That was half of the score for Texas at the end of the first. Even though Jordan Lee took over in the first tournament game by being the leading scorer, Booker showed up tonight and carried the Longhorns over the Ducks. While I was watching the game, she reminded me a lot of what Kevin Durant did during his tenure at Texas. It must be the new shoes that Booker is wearing as part of her NIL deal with Durant.
3. Very selective with the three-point shot today
When the Longhorns found themselves trailing early in the game, I was a little worried they were going to start forcing three-point shots. I thought Texas did a good job of still attacking the rim while shooting well from beyond the arc. That has been a problem for the Longhorns in the past in the tournament gam. It seems like the Longhorns turned over a new leaf, winning selectively, with the three-point shot. It might make Texas a greater threat as the tournament progresses.
4. Texas will get two more "home games"
With the win this evening, the Longhorns will head to Fort Worth for the next couple of rounds. This is a huge advantage for Texas because the Alumni base in the DFW Metroplex is so large that I'm sure many alums will show up for many of the games. Even though they aren't playing in Austin for the rest of the season, the surge of alums will make it feel like they are playing in a Moody Center environment for two rounds. Texas will play either Kentucky or West Virginia in the Sweet 16.