Rori Harmon's return helps lead Texas women's basketball to 72-point rout
11/10/2024 08:48 PM
The Texas women's basketball team, bolstered by the return of standout point guard Rori Harmon, opened their season with an eye-popping 119-47 victory over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday. After a 319-day recovery from a torn ACL, Harmon started for the Longhorns, contributing 10 points and seven assists in her first game back.
Harmon, a senior and an All-American candidate, played 20 minutes, shooting 5-for-10 from the field. One of her missed shots led to a memorable moment just before halftime: Harmon grabbed her own rebound and flipped the ball over her shoulder to newcomer Kyla Oldacre, who scored to end the half. Her return was celebrated by teammates, especially sophomore forward Madison Booker, who expressed joy at Harmon's presence back on the court.
Booker, who took on point guard duties last season in Harmon's absence, shared her excitement.
"I'm the happiest person on this team," Booker said, as reported by Danny Davis of the Austin American-Statesmen. "With Rori back at point, it's going to look a whole lot different and a whole lot better. It's going to be fun."
Oldacre, a 6-foot-6 junior transfer from Miami, made an immediate impact with hr new team as Texas dominated in the paint, outscoring Southeast Missouri 86-18. In just 17 minutes, Oldacre tallied career-highs with 21 points, per Mark Rosner of the Associated Press, and 14 rebounds, converting eight of 12 attempts. She used her size advantage effectively against a smaller Southeast Missouri team, whose tallest players stand at 6-foot-1.
Texas records 27 assists against SEMO
Texas controlled the game from the outset, building a 34-15 lead by the end of the first quarter. Senior center Taylor Jones scored 12 points in the quarter alone, sinking all six of her attempts inside. By halftime, the Longhorns had extended their lead to 66-29. Jones finished with 18 points, a career-high five steals, and a perfect 8-for-8 shooting performance in 19 minutes of play.
exas coach Vic Schaefer praised the team's ball movement, as the Longhorns recorded 27 assists on 48 baskets. Schaefer, who plans to implement some four-guard lineups, highlighted Texas's depth at guard with players like Harmon, Booker and transfer Laila Phelia, though Phelia missed Sunday's game due to an undisclosed injury. Senior Shay Holle started in Phelia's place.
Southeast Missouri, now 0-2, struggled to keep up, committing 33 turnovers and shooting just 29.5% from the field. Skylar Barnes led the Redhawks with 11 points.
The Longhorns will next host Lamar on Wednesday, while Southeast Missouri travels to Evansville on Thursday.
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