No. 15/16 Women’s Basketball preview: Big 12 Championship
No. 15/16 Texas (23-8, 14-4 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (18-13, 6-12) OR Kansas State (16-15, 5-13 Big 12)
Game 32
quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship
Friday, March 10, 2023 – 1:30 p.m. Central
Kansas City, Mo. – Municipal Auditorium
Game day quick facts
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU/ESPN+. Brenda VanLengen (pxp) and Holly Warlick (analyst) will have the call.
RADIO: The game will be broadcast on 105.3 FM in Austin. Craig Way (pxp) and Kathy Harston (analyst) will call the action. The broadcast will be streamed on TexasSports.Com.
SERIES: Texas leads the all-time series against Texas Tech 78-32 and leads against Kansas State 30-17.
Outstanding
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Longhorns finished 14-4 in conference play and won a share of the conference championship, their first regular-season conference title since the 2003-04 season.
BIG 12 AWARDS: Texas coach Vic Schaefer was selected by league coaches as the 12th Coach of the Year. Rori Harmon won Defensive Player of the Year and Shaylee Gonzales was selected as Rookie of the Year. Making the All-Big 12 first team were Rori Harmon and DeYona Gaston. Gonzales earned a spot on the second team, Harmon earned a spot on the defensive team and Amina Muhammad was selected to the all-young team.
ELITE COMPANY: Rori Harmon and Iowa guard Caitlin Clark are the only two players in NCAA DI women’s basketball to average at least 11.9 points per game, seven assists per game and five rebounds per game.
PROTECTION IS DOING:
Texas is 19-0 on the season when they hold an opponent to 59 points or less. 21 times this season Texas has held an opponent to single digits for a quarter. The Longhorns held an Oklahoma offense averaging 86.7 points per game to 45 points. Texas ranks 10th in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game and seventh in the NCAA in blocked shots per game.
BATTLE OF ADVERSITY: The Longhorns have dealt with adversity with multiple players suffering injuries this season. This season, the Longhorns have had 45 games lost by rotation players.
RORI HARMON: Sophomore All-American Rori Harmon made history on Jan. 4 in the Longhorns’ win over TCU as she became the 4th player in program history to record a triple-double. Harmon had 17 points and 11 assists and 10 rebounds. After missing the first five games of the season due to injury, the Longhorns are 21-5 with Harmon in the lineup this season. In Big 12 play Harmon is averaging 13.0 ppg, 7.7 apg, 5.8 rpg and 2.1 spg. Harmon leads the Big 12 in assists per game. Harmon is No. 4 on UT’s all-time sophomore assists list with 189. Harmon was named the team’s Naismith Trophy Midseason Player of the Week. Harmon leads the team in fouls drawn (123) and charges taken (29). Harmon has played 40 minutes in nine conference games for the Longhorns.
GASTON GROWING UP:
DeYona Gaston recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win at Baylor. Gaston scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half against Oklahoma. Gaston scored a career-high 24 points in Texas’ win in Kansas. Against TCU, Gaston scored 16 points and dished out a career-high four assists. Gaston is one of the most improved scorers in the Big 12. Going from 5.3 points per game last year to 12.5 per game this season, that’s the fourth-biggest improvement in the conference. Gaston has the seventh-most rebounds in the conference as well. Gaston ranks second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage with 53.1 percent shooting from the field. Gaston recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the Longhorn’s win at Oklahoma.
ON THE GLASS: The Longhorns are 19-5 this season when outscoring their opponent. Texas has been effective on the offensive glass as they lead the Big 12 and rank 13th in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game at 15.3. Texas has won the offensive glass in 23 games this season. Against West Virginia, the Longhorns grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and gave up just four offensive boards to the Mountaineers.
20 WINS: The Longhorns notched their 20th win of the season against TCU. For coach Vic Schaefer, he has now won 20 or more games in 10 straight seasons as a head coach.
Gonzales breaking out: In her first season in Austin, Shaylee Gonzales has made an impact. Gonzales has scored in double figures in 22 games this season. In Texas’ win over Texas, Gonzales scored 25 points and went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. Against TCU, Gonzales not only scored 16 points, but added seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
JONES A FORCE INSIDE: Taylor Jones has blocked three or more shots in nine games this season and in three games she has blocked five shots. Jones blocked five shots in Texas’ win at Oklahoma. Jones posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds last time out against Baylor.
