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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In more ways than one, it was appropriate that Texas women's basketball's win Saturday 67-59 over Tennessee at Legacy Arena ended with a steal recorded by freshman guard Jordan Lee.
The steal capped a brilliant performance by Lee, who came off the bench to score 13 points and knocked down three 3-pointers in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. A freshman, Lee watched UT's Elite Eight game last season while at the McDonald's All-American game with classmate Justice Carlton. One year later, Lee and fellow freshman Bryanna Preston provided the Longhorns with a needed spark against the Lady Vols.
But that steal was also an exclamation point for the Texas defense. Facing the nation's top-scoring offense, the Longhorns held Tennessee to three points over the game's final five minutes.
"It's definitely our brand of basketball," Lee said of a defensive effort that advances Texas (34-3) into an Elite Eight matchup Monday with TCU (34-3).
Unable to build more than an eight-point advantage over the first three quarters, Texas found itself tied with Tennessee as it entered the fourth quarter. During the break between the third and fourth sessions, Texas coach Vic Schaefer reminded his team that 50 points through three quarters was a lot for a team that was allowing 55.8 per game.
The two teams exchanged blows through the first half of the final frame, and Texas found itself clinging to a 59-58 advantage after Ruby Whitehorn made a jumper with 4:53 left. Throughout the rest of the game, the Tennessee offense looked like this:
"We didn't want it to be the last time we did it," senior guard Rori Harmon said. "We talked about accountability and the leadership. It's not just us seniors or us who have more experience that stepped up to the plate to just tell everybody just lock in. Like, we were over here grabbing each other by our jerseys and telling them, you can't let this happen, you can't let this happen, stuff like that. I think it was just collectively we all just wanted it so bad.
"I know they played super hard, they really did. But I think us holding them to only 9 points in the fourth quarter, that just shows -- that's truly how we play defense. That is us right there. Anything else is not us at all but this is us, doing 9 points in the fourth quarter against a great team like this."
Senior forward Taylor Jones said after the game "we didn't want to let them have open threes or easy shots in the fourth quarter." Lee noted the team knew it had to do a better job of sealing Tennessee's driving lanes after the Lady Vols found the space to make three 3-pointers in the third quarter.
In the final quarter, Tennessee shot 33.3% from the field and committed nine turnovers. The Lady Vols were scoring a nation-leading 87.5 points per game, but it was held to single digits in a quarter for just the third time this season. Texas played the same five players — Harmon, Preston, Lee, Jones and Madison Booker — for the game's final 8:49.
Texas itself didn't play that great offensively in the final quarter as it went the final 3:59 without a field goal. So do the Longhorns enjoy winning these ugly games?
"Yeah. I mean, especially the physical, gritty ones," Jones said. "Knowing that we didn't play our best basketball is hopeful. We'll have a lot of things that we can watch and learn from, but it's really exciting just being able to advance and knowing that we were surviving another day."
Texas was led offensively by Booker, the All-American forward who scored 17 points. Preston contributed 12 points and three steals while Jones added 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Tennessee (24-10) was led by Whitehorn's 16 points.
"I'm really proud of us just finding a way," Jones said. "It may have not been the prettiest game. ... But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and this time of year, we'll take it."
Texas and TCU will return to Legacy Arena at 6 p.m. Monday night. Texas will be seeking its first trip to the Elite Eight since 2003. A TCU team anchored by Hailey Van Lith, the ex-Louisville standout who helped eliminate Texas from the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and former UT center Sedona Prince has never been to the Final Four before.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas vs Tennessee: Longhorns advance in NCAA Tournament
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The steal capped a brilliant performance by Lee, who came off the bench to score 13 points and knocked down three 3-pointers in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. A freshman, Lee watched UT's Elite Eight game last season while at the McDonald's All-American game with classmate Justice Carlton. One year later, Lee and fellow freshman Bryanna Preston provided the Longhorns with a needed spark against the Lady Vols.
But that steal was also an exclamation point for the Texas defense. Facing the nation's top-scoring offense, the Longhorns held Tennessee to three points over the game's final five minutes.
"It's definitely our brand of basketball," Lee said of a defensive effort that advances Texas (34-3) into an Elite Eight matchup Monday with TCU (34-3).
With the game on the line, Texas shuts down Tennessee's offense
Unable to build more than an eight-point advantage over the first three quarters, Texas found itself tied with Tennessee as it entered the fourth quarter. During the break between the third and fourth sessions, Texas coach Vic Schaefer reminded his team that 50 points through three quarters was a lot for a team that was allowing 55.8 per game.
The two teams exchanged blows through the first half of the final frame, and Texas found itself clinging to a 59-58 advantage after Ruby Whitehorn made a jumper with 4:53 left. Throughout the rest of the game, the Tennessee offense looked like this:
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- 4:13 left: Turnover
- 3:43 left: Missed free throw
- 3:43 left: Made free throw
- 3:17 left: Turnover
- 3:03 left: Missed 3-pointer
- 1:53 left: Turnover
- 1:05 left: Missed jumper
- 1:02 left: Missed lay-up
- 0:42 left: Missed 3-pointer
- 0:21 left: Missed 3-pointer
- 0:06 left: Turnover
"We didn't want it to be the last time we did it," senior guard Rori Harmon said. "We talked about accountability and the leadership. It's not just us seniors or us who have more experience that stepped up to the plate to just tell everybody just lock in. Like, we were over here grabbing each other by our jerseys and telling them, you can't let this happen, you can't let this happen, stuff like that. I think it was just collectively we all just wanted it so bad.
"I know they played super hard, they really did. But I think us holding them to only 9 points in the fourth quarter, that just shows -- that's truly how we play defense. That is us right there. Anything else is not us at all but this is us, doing 9 points in the fourth quarter against a great team like this."
Senior forward Taylor Jones said after the game "we didn't want to let them have open threes or easy shots in the fourth quarter." Lee noted the team knew it had to do a better job of sealing Tennessee's driving lanes after the Lady Vols found the space to make three 3-pointers in the third quarter.
In the final quarter, Tennessee shot 33.3% from the field and committed nine turnovers. The Lady Vols were scoring a nation-leading 87.5 points per game, but it was held to single digits in a quarter for just the third time this season. Texas played the same five players — Harmon, Preston, Lee, Jones and Madison Booker — for the game's final 8:49.
Texas itself didn't play that great offensively in the final quarter as it went the final 3:59 without a field goal. So do the Longhorns enjoy winning these ugly games?
"Yeah. I mean, especially the physical, gritty ones," Jones said. "Knowing that we didn't play our best basketball is hopeful. We'll have a lot of things that we can watch and learn from, but it's really exciting just being able to advance and knowing that we were surviving another day."
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Up next for the Longhorns: TCU and the Elite Eight
Texas was led offensively by Booker, the All-American forward who scored 17 points. Preston contributed 12 points and three steals while Jones added 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Tennessee (24-10) was led by Whitehorn's 16 points.
"I'm really proud of us just finding a way," Jones said. "It may have not been the prettiest game. ... But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and this time of year, we'll take it."
Texas and TCU will return to Legacy Arena at 6 p.m. Monday night. Texas will be seeking its first trip to the Elite Eight since 2003. A TCU team anchored by Hailey Van Lith, the ex-Louisville standout who helped eliminate Texas from the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and former UT center Sedona Prince has never been to the Final Four before.
You must be registered for see images attach
Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas vs Tennessee: Longhorns advance in NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
