Princeton was down by double digits for most of Wednesday’s matchup against Texas. But midway through the fourth quarter, the Tigers cut the lead down to nine points and the Longhorns needed a bucket to regain control and effectively put the game away. 

Junior guard Aliyah Matharu dribbled the ball down the court as she looked for an opening to take a shot. Matharu dribbled up to the top of the key,  pulled up for a 3-pointer and drained it to give Texas a 12-point lead. Suddenly, all the momentum shifted to the Longhorns’ side as the game began to seem out of reach for the Tigers. 

Texas went on to outscore Princeton 14-9 in the final minutes to blow past the Tigers 70-53 in Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, New Jersey.

Rori Harmon was the standout performer for the Longhorns in Wednesday’s matchup. The freshman guard ended the day with 15 points and added seven rebounds in her efforts. Harmon was efficient on the offensive end, going 6-8 from the field and 3-4 from the free-throw line. 

It seemed like every time Texas needed a bucket to get back into rhythm on offense, Harmon hit a shot. She was consistently able to stop on a dime and find her shot in the mid-range area to help the team stay in firm control of the game through all four quarters. 

Harmon also had a great day on the defensive end, applying constant pressure to the opposing guards and using her quick hands to record three steals in Wednesday’s outing. 

Senior guard Joanne Allen-Taylor also had a solid performance against Princeton. She had an efficient outing as she went 7-10 from the field, including 2-2 from 3-point range, and led the Longhorns in points scored with 18. 

Although the team had a solid offensive showing, once again, it was Texas’ defense that stood out in Wednesday afternoon’s win.

The Longhorns forced 21 Princeton turnovers, which led to 19 points going the other way and held the Tigers to 28.8% shooting from the field. The team kept crashing the paint, forcing Princeton to take more 3-point shots than it would like, leading the Tigers to a poor 6-26 outing from deep. 

Overall, it was a solid all-around showing from Texas, extending its winning streak to six games. The team will look to build off this momentum as the Longhorns go back home to face Alcorn State on Dec. 29.