Horns struggle before breaking away to win

Mcgee-stafford’s 20 points, season-high 12 rebounds pace Texas.

On a night that offered few superlatives, guard Brady Sanders ignited a second-half spurt with a breakaway layup following a steal at midcourt.

That was the beginning of a 13-0 scoring run that turned Get more Longhorns coverage at

San unexpected tight game into a comfortable Texas victory. Freshman Imani McGeeStafford continued her recent progress, scoring 20 points and snagging a season-high 12 rebounds as the Longhorns defeated gritty Cornell 53-40 Thursday night at the Erwin Center.

Coach Karen Aston said she was not surprised McGee-Stafford and Sanders were the headliners in another otherwise uninspired performance. The freshman tandem has stood out in practice in recent weeks.

“We have a young team and I think we had some players who wanted to go home to mom and dad and open presents,” Aston said.

Texas’ Nneka Enemkpali (3) grabs a rebound as Cornell’s Clare Fitzpatrick defends during the first half at the Erwin Center on Thursday night.