It's been a long season, and I know Rori Harmon wants it to continue. Texas women's basketball has one more game in Fort Worth tonight as they take on the Michigan Wolverines for a position in the Final Four, and Texas is no stranger to playing in this spot. Take a look at what happened last season when they faced off against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
However, this will not be one of those walk-in-the-park matchups that Texas has been used to over the course of its conference schedule. The Wolverines are in the middle of an amazing season, reaching new heights every week. I like to think of them as the northern "South Carolina". It's going to be a tough showdown if Texas wants to advance to the next round.
Here are four keys to the game this evening as Texas fights for a spot in the Final Four:
1. Don't get flustered
Michigan is just like Texas when it comes to quick starts after the opening tip-off. I expect the Wolverines will be amped and ready to play, just as the Longhorns will. Don't let it get to your head if the shots aren't falling at the beginning of the game.
We just saw what happened to the UConn Huskies men's basketball team last night: they fought hard to get back in the game. Just listen to Vic, and the Longhorns should be golden if the shots aren't falling early.
2. Stay out of foul trouble
If the shots are falling for Madison Booker and Rori Harmon, expect Michigan to get them into foul trouble as early as possible. The Longhorns have to balance aggressiveness with overaggressiveness tonight. They can't afford to have players like Booker and Harmon in foul trouble around halftime. If the Longhorns know that they won't be able to prevent a basket, let Michigan score the ball. The last thing that Texas needs tomorrow is key players in foul trouble.
3. Shut down Olivia Olson
The Longhorns did a good job of making sure that Clara Strack didn't take over the game for the Wildcats in the Sweet 16. Tonight, the Longhorns need to clamp down on Olivia Olson. She leads the teams in points per game and rebounds per game. After watching some of her highlights from this season, she's someone you can't leave open. The Longhorns' defense needs to clamp down on her when she has the ball in her hands. Texas won't be in the Final Four this season if they don't slow her down.
4. Feed off of the crowd
It's not every year that the Longhorns basically get four "home games" before having a chance to make the Final Four. In the last game against the Kentucky Wildcats, that crowd was super loud for the Longhorns. Texas has a massive home-field advantage in the Elite 8 against Michigan tonight. The ladies need to feed off of the crowd and let Michigan have a taste of good old southern hospitality. The environment should feel like the ladies are back in Austin for the first round of the tournament tonight.
Now, if the Longhorns were to advance to the Final Four, they might not have this type of advantage moving forward, since the Final Four is moving to Phoenix, Arizona. Texas needs to give what the alums came for tonight, a massive grand finale in their final game in the Lone Star State for the season. Let's go out there and show that the Longhorns weren't a one-trick pony last season. Go out there and win it for the entire state of Texas and prove we can play basketball.