Texas reaches another Elite Eight behind freshman guard Harmon
SPOKANE, Wash. — Texas freshman guard Rori Harmon had four fouls, but coach Vic Schaefer knew he had to put her back in for the closing minutes of the Longhorns’ Sweet 16 contest against Ohio State.
She sank a jumper in the paint and two free throws that proved to be the margin of victory in Texas’ 66-63 victory on Friday night, sending the Longhorns to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row.
“The shot she made to put us up three was as big as there is,” Schaefer said of Harmon, who finished with six points. “Then she goes and makes two free throws. She’s just different, in a real special way.”
Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 17 points and Aliyah Matharu added 10 points for Texas (29-6). The No. 2 seed in the Spokane Region has won 14 straight games since last losing on Feb. 6 — the second-longest active streak behind Stanford.
“I had to get some buckets for our team when we needed them,” Allen-Taylor said.
“She carried us tonight,” Schaefer said of the senior.
Taylor Mikesell scored 19 points and Jacy Sheldon had
17 for sixth-seeded Ohio State (25-7), which has not advanced beyond the Sweet 16 since 1993.
Sheldon said Ohio State proved it was “one of the best teams in the country” and that it was a “great season for us.”
Texas made five shots in a row to build a 60-50 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes scored eight straight points to pull within two.
Lauren Ebo made a pair of free throws for Texas and Harmon’s basket lifted the Longhorns to a 64-61 lead with just over a minute left.
Tanaya Beacham cut the Texas lead to 64-63, and the Buckeyes called time out with 28 seconds left. Sheldon missed a jumper on the ensuing play and Texas rebounded. Harmon took a hard foul after getting the ball past half court, then sank both free throws for a 66-63 lead with 10 seconds left.
A 3-point attempt by Beacham was blocked by freshman Aaliyah Moore as the game ended.
Schaefer called that block a “heck of a play defensively,” adding, “even as a freshman she could keep her head in it.”
“I’m so, so proud of this team,” Schaefer said. “They just won their 29th game, 14th in a row. They got through adversity.”
In Friday’s other games:
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 69, NO. 5 NORTH CAROLINA 61
Aliyah Boston’s dominance in the NCAA Tournament has reached levels not seen in a half-century.
Boston had 28 points, including all 13 for top-seeded South Carolina in the fourth quarter, and 22 rebounds to send the Gamecocks to the Elite Eight.
Along with her first-ever 20-20 game in three college seasons, Boston was the first player — male or female — to have 25 or more points, 20 or more boards and shoot better than 90 percent at the foul line since UCLA’s Bill Walton did it in 1972 Final Four against Louisville, according to Stats Perform.
It’s a relentless attitude to succeed that Boston has maintained all year.
“Just keeping dominance on my mind,” said Boston, who was 12 of 13 from the foul line and had her 27th straight game with a double-double.
And in the final quarter as No. 5 seed North Carolina cut a 13-point lead to four, Boston continually bailed the tournament favorites out of trouble.
NO. 10 CREIGHTON 76, NO. 3 IOWA STATE 68
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Morgan Maly scored a career-high 21 points to help 10th-seeded Creighton beat Iowa State, becoming one of the lowest seeds to ever reach a women’s NCAA Tournament regional final.
Tatum Rembao added 19 for the Bluejays (23-9), who entered the Greensboro Region semifinals savoring the program’s first run to the Sweet 16. Creighton has joined Lamar in 1991 and Oregon in 2017 as 10-seeds that pushed to the Elite Eight. Gonzaga in 2011 was the lowest-seeded at No. 11 to reach the Elite Eight.
Creighton shot 55 percent after halftime with six 3-pointers.