San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Texas tops Oklahoma St. to reach Big 12 title game
Top-seeded Texas
(25-8) is headed back to the Big 12 women’s tournament final for the second straight year. The Longhorns downed No. 4 seed Oklahoma State in the semifinals 64-57 Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., to earn the right to defend their 2022 title.
The Longhorns have never won back-to-back Big 12 tournaments. And they haven’t won the regular season and tournament crown in the same year since 2003. That will all be in play for the Big 12 co-champions Sunday when they face either No. 2 seed Oklahoma or No. 3 seed Iowa State at 1 p.m. in the championship game.
“I was very concerned about them in this game because we have had two knock-down drag-outs with them (Oklahoma State) already this season,” UT coach Vic Schaefer said. “That being said, I’m so proud of my kids. I thought they played their guts out today. I thought they played with tremendous passion, tremendous heart. I just thought they were just really, really special in regards to how hard they played.”
All five starters produced for Texas.
Sophomore point guard Rori Harmon piloted the offense and played her typical pesky defense, picking off passes in the lane and slinging fullcourt outlets passes off Cowgirls turnovers. She finished with 11 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Graduate guard Shaylee Gonzales was on the receiving end of a few of Harmon’s seeing-eye helpers, and she spaced the floor with a trio of 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 17 points. Junior guard Shay Holle worked had it going early, scoring seven of her 13 in the first quarter to help Texas take a 19-15 lead into the second period.
Junior forward DeYona Gaston exerted herself on the low block, drawing a slew of early shooting fouls to rack up points at the foul line. She scored 14 points and pulled down five boards in 32 minutes.
Fellow frontcourt starter Khdija Faye was hamstrung with some foul trouble but still managed to lead Texas with seven rebounds (three offensive) with two blocks and two steals in 23 minutes.
“Right now, what we’re doing as a team is something super special, and I feel like it proves how much hard work we put in every single day, every single practice, every single lift,” Gonzales said. “I feel like this team, we’re close on and off the court so that definitely helps.”
Nick Moyle
SWAC
Genovea Johnson scored 18 points, Amani McWain changed the momentum with two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Southern earned its sixth NCAA Tournament berth with a 62-53 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament at Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday.
MID-AMERICAN
Quinesha Lockett scored 17 points, Jessica Cook had 16 and Toledo led wire-to-wire to capture its ninth NCAA Tournament berth with a 73-58 win over rival Bowling Green in the MidAmerican Conference Tournament at Cleveland.