WOMENS BASKETBALL
Texas 77, Texas Tech 72
MARK ROSNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas - Amina Muhammad had 16 points and a career-best 15 rebounds to help No. 5 Texas beat Texas Tech 77-72 on Wednesday night for its seventh straight win.
The 6-foot-4 Muhammad, who was making her first start since January, grabbed 10 offensive rebounds.
Taylor Jones led Texas (25-3, 12-3 Big 12) with 19 points. DeYona Gaston scored all 12 of her points in the second half, enabling Texas to win despite Jones spending most of the third quarter and part of the fourth on the bench with three fouls.
Madison Booker, the Longhorns’ best player, also spent a big chunk of the second half on the bench, with four fouls. Booker returned midway through the fourth quarter and made six straight free throws in the final 50 seconds.
Jasmine Shavers scored a game-high 27 points for Texas Tech. She made four of the Red Raiders 12 3-point baskets. Bailey Maupin scored 22.
Tech (16-12, 5-10) trailed by just four with about three minutes remaining, but Jones made a layup and Shaylee Gonzales added a 3-pointer, increasing the lead to nine.
The Red Raiders scored five points in 13 seconds when Shavers made a 3, Shay Holle committed a foul for Texas, and Tech, retaining possession scored with a layup by Maupin with 1:08 left. Then Booker (14 points) made her free throws to seal the win.
Shavers scored 10 in the third quarter, and Kelly Mora made a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left that briefly gave Tech a one-point lead. But Holle countered with a 3 for Texas, putting the Longhorns ahead 52-50 at the end of the period.
Jones scored 15 points in the first half, but Texas struggled just to leave the court with a 35-31 lead. The Longhorns, despite a height advantage, were credited with missing four layups. They also missed seven of 13 free throws.
BIG PICTURE
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders played hard and effectively compared to most games during a losing streak that includes four defeats by 18 points or more. They lost by 29 at Baylor on Sunday.
Texas: The Longhorns attempt and convert the fewest 3-point shots in the Big 12, making just four a game, but they usually compensate by scoring inside. Texas averages 16 more points a game than opponents in the paint. They outscored Tech by a mere 30-24.
February 21, 2024
