FORT WORTH — Texas cruised through the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament to return to the Elite Eight for a third straight year in front of a crowd full of burnt orange at Dickies Arena.
The Longhorns thought maybe, finally, they’d face a bump in the road against a skilled Michigan team while seeking to reach their second consecutive Final Four.
But Monday evening, Texas showed just how dominant it has been, taking down Michigan 77-41 and riding a lights-out start to the finish. The Longhorns’ average margin of victory through four tournament games now sits at 35.5 points.
“They have absolutely played their hearts out,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “Their chemistry is off the chart right now. They’re playing for each other. They’re having fun.”
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With the win, the Longhorns reached consecutive Final Fours for the first time since 1986-87 when Jody Conradt led Texas to its lone national title the first of those years. Texas will face fellow 1-seed UCLA Friday in Phoenix. Texas was UCLA’s only loss of the season, with Texas winning their Nov. 26 meeting 76-65.
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All season long, the four 1-seeds have been, by far, better than the rest. With a South Carolina win over TCU later Monday night, those four teams would get to duke it out for the national title.
Texas looked like the better team from the start Monday and jumped out to a lead from which Michigan could never recover. Texas took an 18-4 lead in the first quarter, starting 9 for 9 from the field, while Michigan started 1 for 7.
Texas missed just one field goal in the first quarter, emerging with a 22-9 lead.
Michigan put up a better fight in the second quarter but could never make up enough ground to close the sizable Texas advantage. Any time the Wolverines went on a run, Madison Booker answered. Texas’ leading scorer led the Longhorns again with 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting and seven rebounds.
In the second half, her fellow post players took over. The Longhorns capitalized on their size inside, outscoring Michigan 36-18 in the paint and finishing with a 49-32 advantage on the boards.
Booker, Kyla Oldacre, Justice Carlton and Breya Cunningham combined for a 15-2 run late in the third quarter to put Texas up 28 points. The lead grew to 40 points in the fourth quarter. All four post players finished in double figures.
“Their size and their physicality and the rebounding,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “Texas smoked us in the rebounding battle. The 50/50 balls, we pride ourselves on coming up with those. They were ripping them out of our hands.
“We were tired, and we’re usually the team that’s making other people tired.”
Texas’ guards weren’t as productive. Rori Harmon and Jordan Lee combined for just 11 points, despite averaging 22. Lee shot just 2 of 17 from the field and 0 of 8 from 3-point range. Texas started 0 of 9 from 3-point range before making its first midway through the third quarter. Harmon, however, had 13 assists and just three turnovers.
Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway led Michigan with 11 points each. The Wolverines shot just 22.8% from the field and 13.3% from 3-point range.
“This might be the best team [I’ve had] that can take a scout in a day or a day and a half and go execute it in a game,” Schaefer said.
Texas and its next opponent, UCLA, both suffered heartbreaking blowouts in the Final Four last year. The Bruins lost 85-51 to UConn, while Texas lost 74-57 to South Carolina.
This time around, one will advance a round further and might even get a chance at revenge depending on whom its national championship opponent will be.