The No. 6 seed Texas women’s basketball team stifled No. 11 Bradley’s upset bid from the opening tip Monday night, cruising to an 81-62 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Braves, coming into the game with a stellar offense and hopes of making a run in the tournament, were outmatched by a scrappy, motivated Texas team that gave them nightmares on both ends of the floor. The Longhorns used a fast and explosive start to set the tone for the rest of the contest, head coach Vic Schaefer said.
“I loved our start,” Schaefer said. “I was really proud of how we competed. I loved how hard we played.”
A swarming Texas defense caused Bradley fits, as the Braves coughed up 13 turnovers on the night — several of which were unforced errors. Bradley’s loose ball handling allowed the Longhorns to score 22 points off turnovers.
Schaefer said he was especially impressed by the aggressive mindset his team went into the game with.
“I think our guards did a great job of attacking,” Schaefer said. “We gotta keep that mindset, keep that attacking mentality, because I think that’s the only way we can do things.”
While the Longhorns’ collective effort was impressive throughout the night, it was the dynamic duo of junior forwards Charli Collier and Audrey Warren that ultimately led the way.
Collier continued upon her historic season, posting yet another double-double with an efficient 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 15 rebounds. Her dominance on the glass, grabbing with seven offensive rebounds, made it difficult for the Braves to get anything going in the paint.
“I feel like everybody was bought in tonight,” Collier said. “We competed on both sides of the floor, and we got the win, and we got the job done.”
Despite the limited number of fans allowed in the arena, choruses of, “Overrated,” chants from the crowd directed at Collier flooded the court as the junior attempted free throws. Collier, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft, shook off the taunting with noticeable poise.
“As far as the chants and stuff go, I really don’t care about it,” Collier said. “I don’t pay attention to it, I just want to work hard and do what I can for my team to get the win. Everything else is just extra.”
Schaefer made sure to back his star player after hearing the chants himself.
“That’s about as classless as any adult could be,” Schafer said. “She (Collier) ain’t just good, she’s great. Ain’t nobody else in the country, have the double-doubles that that kid has had, in Power Five (conferences). There’s not anybody close.”
As for Warren, her 19 points and seven rebounds illustrated what turned out to be one of her best games on the season. After having to miss significant time during the season with various injuries, Warren will play a critical role for the Longhorns moving forward.
“Audrey (Warren) was really active,” Schaefer said. “She played a lot of minutes, I didn’t really want to play her that much.”
Schaefer most likely planned to limit Warren’s minutes due to the task that lies ahead on Wednesday. The Longhorns will face off against No. 3 UCLA, who defeated No. 14 Wyoming 69-48 in convincing fashion earlier Monday night.
The Bruins, who are now 17–5 on the season, will mark one of the biggest challenges yet for the Longhorns, but Schaefer is more than confident in his unit.
“We got a big task in front of us on Wednesday, but you know what, we’re excited about that opportunity,” Schaefer said. “We’ll be ready. Our kids will be ready.”
