In what would be their last meeting, No. 5 Texas women’s basketball defeated Texas Tech 77-72 in a competitive matchup described as a “lucky win” by head coach Vic Schaefer.
“We’re lucky we won the game,” Schaefer said. “I’m hopeful my kids will learn from it.”
Texas dominated early in the first quarter with a 7-0 run led by graduate guard Shaylee Gonzales and senior forward Taylor Jones. With two minutes left in the first period, Texas Tech got its first lead at 15-14. Two baskets from freshman forward Madison Booker gave the Longhorns the lead back, but Texas Tech sophomore guard Bailey Maupin narrowed the gap to one point heading into the second quarter.
For the first half of the second quarter, the Lady Raiders secured a lead, but Jones showed up to change the game. Reaching double figures before the end of the first half, Jones went on an eight-point solo run. Jones’ momentum brought fire to her team to finish off the half on a high note, preventing their rivals from scoring for over four minutes.
The second half was as close as the first, but Texas managed to maintain a lead until 35 seconds left in the third quarter when Texas Tech freshman forward Kelly Mora scored a three-pointer. With five seconds left in the third quarter, Texas was down by one point. Senior guard Shay Holle struggled to make a basket throughout the game but had her first points of the night in a crucial moment. From beyond the three-point line, Holle gave her team a two-point lead going into the last minutes of the quarter.
While Texas Tech challenged the Longhorns, Maupin and sophomore guard Jasmine Shavers were individual keys for the Red Raider team to fight until the last minute. Shavers and Maupin are Tech’s number one and two scorers on the season with 390 and 367 points, respectively. With Shavers going 2-2 on the free throw line in the last seconds of the game to give her team a last hope, she was the top scorer of the game with 27 points.
“Our inability to defend was really disheartening,” Schaefer said. “We obviously weren’t ready to play and didn’t play well. I will do better.”
Seconds after Shavers stepped to the line, Texas’ Booker also went two-for-two on the other side of the court, increasing the Longhorn lead. Booker was perfect from the line, making ten out of ten shots.
“I hope that maybe somehow we can just continue to have (these rivalry games),” Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich said. “It needs to happen with all the Texas schools. There’s some really great history, especially in women’s basketball. It was a fun last game if you will.”
Texas will head to Orlando and Norman for its two last away games against UCF and Oklahoma this Saturday and Feb. 28 respectively before its final Big 12 home game and senior night against BYU on March 2.
