Despite a slow first quarter, No. 3 Texas women’s basketball came out on top with a 71-46 win over BYU to wrap up regular season play in front of a packed Moody Center.

Head Coach Vic Schaefer, along with Texas Athletics Director Chris del Conte and the Texas Silver Spurs pledged to donate a total of $167,500 to the Neighborhood Longhorns Program if 10,000 fans attended the game. 

10,364 fans showed up at the arena.

Graduate guard Shaylee Gonzales and senior forward Khadija Faye were honored after the game at the Senior Night celebration. They struggled to score as Faye had one basket in the first quarter and Gonzales scored a three-pointer in the final stretch of the match. Both received standing ovations after being subbed out for the last time.

“These two, they have the heart of a champion,” Schaefer said. “They want to win. They want to be great.”

Gonzales, a BYU transfer, had five assists, three steals and no turnovers at full time against her former team. 

“Their first year in the Big 12 is Texas’ last year in the Big 12,” Gonzales said. “Like what are the odds? Just a lot of emotions. We were really looking forward to that win and I’m glad we got it.”

BYU took the early lead as freshmen shined for both teams. Freshman guards Kailey Woolston and Amari Whiting were responsible for nine of the 14 of the Cougars’ first quarter points. Texas freshman forward Madison Booker sent the Longhorns to the second quarter level with a basket at the buzzer.

“We weren’t very good offensively (in) the first half,” Schaefer said. “We really struggled to execute, but while we were struggling on offense we were defending.”

At the start of the second period, Booker put her team ahead and never looked back, scoring 10 points in the first minutes of the quarter. With 31 seconds left in the first half, Texas gained the largest lead of the game so far at 29-19. Booker finished the game with 20 points.

Booker did not start the season as a point guard, but stepped in for injured junior Rori Harmon in the point guard position starting in December.

“You have to give our older kids credit for helping (Madison) get through that learning curve in that time,” Schaefer said. “She’s made big shot after big shot, great decision making, passing. You take Madison Booker off our team right now, with Rori Harmon going down, you have to ask yourself ‘Are we where we are today?’”

Texas kept extending its lead to finish the game 25 points ahead.

“I feel like we definitely ended conference play on a good note,” Gonzales said. “Obviously we’re gonna take that in but realize that we got games ahead of us that we need to prepare for.”

Next up for the Longhorns is the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City from March 7 to 12 for a chance to end its time at the conference with a ring.