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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Is this the year that the Texas women’s basketball team finally gets over the Elite Eight hump?
Texas has reached the fourth round of the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five years, but the program is still searching for its first Final Four berth since 2003. Standing between Texas and this year’s Tampa-hosted Final Four is old Big 12 foe TCU.
Texas owns a 53-4 all-time record against TCU, but these aren’t your parents’ Horned Frogs. TCU is enjoying the best season in school history and has beaten Fairleigh Dickinson, Louisville and Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas (34-3) and TCU (34-3) are the top two seeds in the “Birmingham 3” portion of the NCAA Tournament’s bracket.
RELATED: March Madness basketball: What does Texas point guard Rori Harmon have left to prove?
TV Channel: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo, Sling
Radio: 103.1 FM
GOLDEN: How freshman Bryanna Preston kept Texas basketball's national title hopes alive
Date: Monday, March 31
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
At 77.7 points per game, TCU entered this past weekend ranked 22nd nationally in scoring offense. But the Horned Frogs won’t be the highest-scoring team that Texas has faced this season. The Longhorns have already played 12 games against No. 1 Tennessee (87.5 PPG), No. 4 LSU (85.5), No. 5 Oklahoma (85.4), No. 6 Notre Dame (85.1), No. 7 Vanderbilt (83.3), No. 11 Maryland (81.0), No. 12 South Carolina (80.8) and No. 15 Alabama (79.3).
In those 12 games against eight of college basketball’s top-15 offenses, Texas has allowed 70 points three times (and Notre Dame had 68 points at the end of regulation in its 80-70 overtime win over Texas in December). The Longhorns have held LSU, Maryland and Alabama to their season-low scores.
Coming off of Saturday’s 67-59 win over Tennessee, Texas is allowing 56 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.
Following each round of the NCAA Tournament so far, UT has celebrated by letting a nonstarter place the Texas sticker in the next round on an oversized bracket.
Junior guard Jordana Codio participated in the postgame ceremony after providing a spark off the bench against William & Mary in the first round, Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda assisted starter Rori Harmon with those duties after scoring a career-high 19 points in the second round and the freshmen tandem of Jordan Lee and Bryanna Preston were given the honor after combining for 25 points in a Sweet 16 win over Tennessee.
TCU, meanwhile, has received six bench points during this entire tournament. The TCU reserves have not scored since the first round.
Under second-year coach Mark Campbell, TCU has already won the most games in school history and made its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament. Seventh-year center Sedona Prince is averaging 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while Madison Conner leads the nation in made 3-pointers.
But the catalyst for TCU’s historic season has been Hailey Van Lith.
A 5-foot-9 guard, Van Lith has scored a school-record 663 points and distributed a school-record 202 assists this season. She became the first Horned Frog to win the Big 12 Player of the Year award and was also dubbed a third-team All-American.
Texas fans will likely remember Van Lith as the player who scored 21 points at Moody Center as Louisville beat Texas in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Van Lith played at Louisville for three seasons and LSU for one year before transferring to TCU last April.
Texas. TCU has stars, but so does Texas (we’ve gone this entire preview without mentioning first-team All-American Madison Booker). This game will be determined by defense and depth, and UT has enough of both to finally return to the Final Four.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Elite Eight prediction: Texas vs TCU women's basketball
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Texas has reached the fourth round of the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five years, but the program is still searching for its first Final Four berth since 2003. Standing between Texas and this year’s Tampa-hosted Final Four is old Big 12 foe TCU.
Texas owns a 53-4 all-time record against TCU, but these aren’t your parents’ Horned Frogs. TCU is enjoying the best season in school history and has beaten Fairleigh Dickinson, Louisville and Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas (34-3) and TCU (34-3) are the top two seeds in the “Birmingham 3” portion of the NCAA Tournament’s bracket.
RELATED: March Madness basketball: What does Texas point guard Rori Harmon have left to prove?
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What channel is Texas vs TCU?
TV Channel: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo, Sling
Radio: 103.1 FM
GOLDEN: How freshman Bryanna Preston kept Texas basketball's national title hopes alive
What time does Texas women's basketball play?
Date: Monday, March 31
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
Texas has stood up to some of nation's top offenses
At 77.7 points per game, TCU entered this past weekend ranked 22nd nationally in scoring offense. But the Horned Frogs won’t be the highest-scoring team that Texas has faced this season. The Longhorns have already played 12 games against No. 1 Tennessee (87.5 PPG), No. 4 LSU (85.5), No. 5 Oklahoma (85.4), No. 6 Notre Dame (85.1), No. 7 Vanderbilt (83.3), No. 11 Maryland (81.0), No. 12 South Carolina (80.8) and No. 15 Alabama (79.3).
In those 12 games against eight of college basketball’s top-15 offenses, Texas has allowed 70 points three times (and Notre Dame had 68 points at the end of regulation in its 80-70 overtime win over Texas in December). The Longhorns have held LSU, Maryland and Alabama to their season-low scores.
Coming off of Saturday’s 67-59 win over Tennessee, Texas is allowing 56 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas, TCU getting different results from benches
Following each round of the NCAA Tournament so far, UT has celebrated by letting a nonstarter place the Texas sticker in the next round on an oversized bracket.
Junior guard Jordana Codio participated in the postgame ceremony after providing a spark off the bench against William & Mary in the first round, Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda assisted starter Rori Harmon with those duties after scoring a career-high 19 points in the second round and the freshmen tandem of Jordan Lee and Bryanna Preston were given the honor after combining for 25 points in a Sweet 16 win over Tennessee.
TCU, meanwhile, has received six bench points during this entire tournament. The TCU reserves have not scored since the first round.
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HVL, Horned Frogs enjoying historic season
Under second-year coach Mark Campbell, TCU has already won the most games in school history and made its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament. Seventh-year center Sedona Prince is averaging 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while Madison Conner leads the nation in made 3-pointers.
But the catalyst for TCU’s historic season has been Hailey Van Lith.
A 5-foot-9 guard, Van Lith has scored a school-record 663 points and distributed a school-record 202 assists this season. She became the first Horned Frog to win the Big 12 Player of the Year award and was also dubbed a third-team All-American.
Texas fans will likely remember Van Lith as the player who scored 21 points at Moody Center as Louisville beat Texas in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Van Lith played at Louisville for three seasons and LSU for one year before transferring to TCU last April.
Texas vs TCU prediction
Texas. TCU has stars, but so does Texas (we’ve gone this entire preview without mentioning first-team All-American Madison Booker). This game will be determined by defense and depth, and UT has enough of both to finally return to the Final Four.
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: Elite Eight prediction: Texas vs TCU women's basketball
Continue reading...
