No. 13 Texas women’s basketball started the season on a high with a dominating 80-35 victory over Southern University.

“I’m really pleased with our team tonight,” head coach Vic Schaefer said. “We talked about going into the game just really being intentional about trying to defend for 40 minutes. I thought we played really hard on that end.”

A combination of mistakes on the opponent’s side and a strong performance by the Texas defense was enough to keep Southern to single digits for three quarters.

“We really wanted to go inside, and I thought (Southern) did a good job of taking our inside game away in the first half,” Schaefer said. “We wore them down and got them into foul trouble.”

With senior forward DeYona Gaston being out due to injury, sophomore forward Amina Muhammad stepped into the starting lineup.

“I wasn’t really (nervous about starting),” Muhammad said. “I was just trying not to turn the ball over.”

In the first 10 minutes of the game, Muhammad reached double digits with 10 points and had a double-double by halftime. 

“I gotta give credit to (Muhammad), she played really hard,” Schaefer said. “She’s a unique matchup for a lot of different people. She’s the second-best on-ball defender on my team.”

Muhammad and the team had been working on grabbing rebounds prior to the game.

“We’ve been emphasizing that in practice over the past week,” Muhammad said. “That’s been an emphasis in practice with the coaching staff.”

The Texas freshmen proved they earned their spot on the team. Forward Madison Booker and guard Gisella Maul scored a combined five three-pointers. 

“I know if Madison’s on the court, we’re really good,” Harmon said. “She’s going to be another point guard who has a vision on the floor. I’m excited, and she’s doing really well.”

Harmon said her experience has helped her understand what plays the coach will call and tries to use her knowledge to help the freshmen.

“I’m just trying my best to stay in their ears about it,” Harmon said. “I just want the best for them. They’re doing really good. They’re very attentive, they have eye contact and it’s easy to talk to them.”

Maul, who only played for 12 minutes, managed to get nine points, all from three-pointers.

“It’s a beautiful shot,” Schaefer said about Maul’s points. “She’s been seeing it big recently.”

Senior forward Taylor Jones entered the court with five minutes left in the second quarter and managed to score seven points. With four minutes left in the third quarter, Jones was subbed back in and dominated the offensive glass, finishing with a double-double. 

“I think between Taylor and (senior forward Khadija Faye), they just wear down the defenses inside,” Schaefer said. 

Texas will host Liberty on Sunday for its second game of the season.