Texas wins its final non-conference game despite the absence of key players.
The Longhorns faced the Jackson State Tigers at the Moody Center on Wednesday night before facing Baylor in their first Big 12 conference game of the season. Texas won 97-52, completing an undefeated non-conference season.
The Longhorns may have won big, but there are still some unanswered questions. The offense didn’t have the same dominance or defensive pressure without key players in the lineup, but players like freshman forward Madison Booker and fifth-year guard Shaylee Gonzales stepped up to lead the Longhorns to victory.
Taylor Jones, a senior forward, missed another game after head coach Vic Schaefer described her status as “day-to-day,” raising questions about the severity of her hip injury. Rori Harmon, a junior guard, was also inactive against the Tigers and was seen walking with a limp. Harmon’s future is currently unknown.
“I don’t really have anything for you right now, but we’ll know more tomorrow,” said Coach Schaefer.
Jones is a force on the ground, getting to her spot and hitting high-percentage shots. Nonetheless, her presence on defense was sorely missed against the Tigers. Jackson State pulled down 24 offensive rebounds.
“The only thing I’m concerned about is the 24 offensive boards that we gave up,” Schaefer went on to say.
Without Harmon in charge, the offense appeared disjointed and devoid of communication at times.The Longhorns shot far later into the shot clock than usual, resulting in heaves to the rim and 14 turnovers. Coach Schaefer was dissatisfied with what he saw.
“We got a little sloppy with the ball,” Schaefer admitted.
Despite this, the Longhorns scored 97 points, thanks to five players scoring in double figures. Gonzales and Booker scored 21 and 16 points, respectively, with the veteran guard hitting six three-pointers
Due to Harmon’s absence, Booker started at point guard for the first time this season. By committing only one turnover on nine assists, the true freshman demonstrated great poise and composure.
“My mindset was just, ‘take care of the ball,’ it starts with me taking care of the ball,” Booker told reporters.
Gonzales found her shot early and attributes her success to her teammates.
“I was just feeling it tonight and my teammates got me the ball when I was open,” Gonzales told reporters.
The Longhorns have just three days before their final season as members of the Big 12 conference, which begins Saturday at the Moody Center against No. 10 Baylor.
