The Texas Longhorns returned to the Moody Center after an underwhelming loss on the road to Kansas State, where they faced the unranked Kansas Jayhawks. Outside of the opening minutes of the game, it was a show stopping performance from Texas thanks to the Longhorns’ precise shooting and suffocating defense.
Early in the game, the Longhorns had trouble getting their offense started. It wasn’t until a minute and a half into the first quarter that the Longhorns scored their first points of the game off a layup from junior forward Aaliyah Moore. Moore received her second consecutive start of the season against the Jayhawks and has become the player many hoped she would be ever since she stepped foot on the Forty Acres.
“When we recruited her and she came here, my vision for her was like tonight, and wanting that every night,” said Head Coach Vic Schaefer.
Moore didn’t hold back from scoring, finishing the night with a perfect 7-7 from the field and leading all scorers with 17 points. This offensive output encouraged the rest of the teammates to join in on the fun.
The game was close until the Longhorns started an impressive scoring drive, going on a 12-0 run and finishing the first quarter leading 25-12.
Texas’ defensive pressure was on full display as the Longhorns only allowed Kansas to score six points with 5:30 left to play in the second quarter. By the end of the first half, the Longhorns had forced nine turnovers.
At halftime, Texas led by 21 points, shooting 60% from the field and 67% from beyond the arc. Compared to their shooting against the Kansas State Wildcats, where the Longhorns shot 18% from behind the three-point line, it seemed the team had found their rhythm again. Senior guard Shay Holle, who finished with eight points and shot 2-3 from deep, took motivation from their last game.
“Sometimes you still have off shooting nights, but I mean, it definitely made me get in the gym extra going into this game,” Holle said.
The second half of the game only saw the lead for Texas grow, and by the third quarter, the Longhorns were up 30 points. In the third, the game started to get chippy as Kansas center Taiyanna Jackson and Texas senior forward Khadija Faye both received technical fouls. The two had to be separated after exchanging words, causing the second technical foul called on the Longhorns this season.
The Longhorn lead was up to 38 in the final quarter, and they only displayed one loss at home this season. It’s no secret that the Longhorns love the Moody Center, but after their recent loss, Schaefer is looking for one thing from his team.
“It’s consistency,” Schaefer said. “That’s what we’re after right now. I’m after it.”
