Freshman guard Aaliyah Crump became the first true freshman since her teammates, fifth-year guard Rori Harmon and junior forward Madison Booker, to start in a home opener during the Vic Schaefer era at Texas, leading the Longhorns to a 123-51 win over the University of the Incarnate Word on Monday night.
After Crump’s first three-pointer about two minutes in, the Moody Center crowd began to take notice. Two minutes later, after she drained another, the fans were sold, with their cheers echoing as she was subbed off.
They may have witnessed the birth of a new star, or at least a player ready to fill some of the holes left by last year’s Final Four roster.
“(I’m) proud of our freshmen. (Crump) played really well,” Schaefer said. “(She) got us off to a great start, been practicing well and I was happy for her. She said she knows there’s some other things in the film that she can learn from, but Aaliyah is a confident kid, and I thought she came out tonight (and) was ready for the moment and played really well.”
Crump finished with 16 points in her collegiate debut, helping Texas address one of its biggest weaknesses from last season, which was consistent perimeter shooting. She and sophomore guard Jordan Lee, who led the team with 21 points after exploding in the third quarter, showed early promise as long-range threats.
Crump wasn’t flawless, though. She shot 7-16 and committed four fouls, one of which was in the second quarter and drew a stern word from Schaefer, but her confidence as a freshman stood out.
“I’m just really grateful for the opportunity, and I have great teammates around me,” Crump said. “I put a lot of work in, but I’m just so thankful to be surrounded by a great group of people. They instilled so much confidence in me, so I knew I was ready for that opportunity.”
Texas came out aggressive and never relented. Its speed in transition on offense overwhelmed the Cardinals, who struggled to keep up with the Longhorns’ size and depth. Six Longhorns scored in double figures, and the team shot efficiently throughout, capitalizing on offensive rebounds and smart shot selection.
“It’s exciting to have that kind of balance,” Schaefer said. “And kids that can make shots. And I, again, I have, I don’t know that I can think of more than a couple, two or three shots where I thought it might not have been the best shot we could have got. I thought our kids were really good, really patient and very disciplined with their shot selection.”
Texas also dominated defensively, forcing 25 turnovers and converting them into 36 points. Even with a commanding lead the entire game, the Longhorns maintained a full-court press that kept UIW off balance and timing.
Still, the Longhorns’ intensity on both sides of the ball came with some costs. Texas committed 28 personal fouls and 11 turnovers, areas Schaefer will need to tighten as the season progresses.
“(UIW) were more disciplined than we were, defensively,” Schaefer said. “They didn’t foul us. We fouled them. I mean, we fouled 28 times. Y’all, that’s not good. And so we’ve gotta clean that up, and that’s just (being) disciplined.”
