BIRMINGHAM, Ala. − After 22 long years, Texas is heading back to the Final Four.
Madison Booker scored 18 points and Rori Harmon added 13 as Texas recorded a 58-47 win over TCU in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night. Texas never trailed at Legacy Arena but had to shake off the Horned Frogs in the second half.
Texas last qualified for the Final Four in 2003 and had been eliminated in the Elite Eight round in three of the last four years.
Texas (35-3) advances to face SEC rival South Carolina. The Longhorns and Gamecocks will play on Friday in Tampa.
4th (4:52): Texas 53, TCU 39
TCU opened the final quarter with a Madison Conner 3-pointer, but Kyla Oldacre has not let the Horned Frogs seize any momentum. A jumper from Oldacre that beat the shot clock’s buzzer and a play in which the 6-foot-6 center stole the basketball, dribbled down the court, scored and then hit the subsequent free throw have both been huge plays for the Longhorns.
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A 15-for-17 performance from the free throw line has kept TCU in this game. Sedona Prince, the former Longhorn who entered today as TCU’s second-leading scorer, fouled out with 6:32 left after scoring just four points.
End 3: Texas 42, TCU 33
With Texas leading 32-31 with 3:34 left in the third quarter, the Longhorns used a quartet of highlights to distance themselves to the Horned Frogs. Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Madison Booker both made 3-point plays before the third quarter ended, a Mwenentanda steal led to a Jordan Lee 3-pointer and Shay Holle stuffed Donovyn hunter’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Can the Longhorns close this game out?
3rd (4:55): Texas 29, TCU 29
Texas has not warmed up on offense after the halftime break, and TCU has tied the game after making four free throws in the last 31 seconds. Texas has made three of its eight second-half shots, and the Longhorns have scored just 16 points since the end of the first quarter. Madison Booker will shoot two free throws after this media timeout.
Halftime: Texas 23, TCU 21
Texas had a chance to blow this game open in the second quarter, but its offense cooled off considerably and TCU rallied. A 7-0 run by the Horned Frogs to close out the second quarter made this a two-point game at the halftime break.
In the second quarter, Texas shot 4-for-14 from the field.
Rori Harmon leads all scorers with her 11 points, but the Texas point guard has taken 13 shots. She has attempted more than 13 shots in a game just twice this season.
Hailey Van Lith’s eight points lead the Horned Frogs. TCU committed 11 turnovers in the first half.
2nd (4:17): Texas 23, TCU 14
With Rori Harmon scoring 11 points, Texas has built a nine-point lead at Birmingham. Texas has forced 11 turnovers defensively and shut down TCU’s pick-and-roll attempts to center Sedona Prince, who is still scoreless.
2nd (7:56): Texas 17, TCU 9
Things haven’t gotten any better offensively for TCU in the second quarter. After committing two turnovers and missing their lone shot, the Horned Frogs have called a timeout.
Texas has gotten baskets from guards Shay Holle and Jordan Lee in this quarter.
End 1: Texas 13, TCU 9
Behind a suffocating defense, Texas has earned an early edge in Birmingham. The Horned Frogs shot 3-for-12 in the first quarter while committing eight turnovers, and TCU stars Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith were both held scoreless.
TCU’s Taylor Bigby nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to narrow the gap on the scoreboard.
Texas senior Rori Harmon scored seven points in the first quarter to lead Texas. Madison Booker added four points for the Longhorns.
1st (3:58): Texas 7, TCU 4
Rori Harmon has scored five points to give Texas an early lead at Legacy Arena. TCU missed its first six shots, but a 3-pointer from Agnes Emma-Nnopu with 4:27 left gave the Horned Frogs their first field goal.
So far, Texas has forced four turnovers but given up three offensive rebounds.
Texas vs. TCU starting lineups
Texas starting lineup
G Shay Holle
G Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda
F Madison Booker
TCU starting lineup
G Madison Conner
G Donovyn Hunter
G Hailey Van Lith
G Agnes Emma-Nnopu
C Sedona Prince
Lone Star showdowns are rare this late in the NCAA Tournament
Tonight’s Texas-TCU tussle will be just the second instance of a matchup this late in the NCAA Tournament between two teams from the Lone Star State. En route to winning a national championship in 2011, Texas A&M recorded a 58-46 win over Baylor in the Elite Eight round.
Texas has two ties to that 2011 Texas A&M-Baylor game. Fourteen years ago, UT coach Vic Schaefer was an assistant on the Aggies’ staff. Sydney Carter, who is currently an assistant coach and director of player personnel for the Longhorns, contributed a game-high 22 points, six rebounds and three steals for Texas A&M in that Elite Eight game.
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