Texas coach makes brutally honest admission on NCAA Tournament opener
03/23/2025 03:21 PM
Top-seeded Texas women's basketball overcame an early scare to defeat 16th-seeded William & Mary 105-61 on Saturday night in the opening round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Despite the lopsided final score, Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer offered a candid assessment of his team's performance.
“We looked like we hadn't played in two weeks,” Schaefer said, as reported by Jim Vertuno of the Associated Press. “We've had a long layoff. But I have to give them credit. That team was fearless. That's what I want my team to be.”
William & Mary, making its NCAA Tournament debut, pushed Texas early with an aggressive tempo and trailed just 23-18 after the first quarter. The Tribe continued to compete well into the second quarter before Texas asserted its size advantage and began pulling away. Madison Booker led the Longhorns with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Taylor Jones added 19 points and Kyla Oldacre contributed 15 points and 15 boards.
Booker, a freshman All-American and SEC Player of the Year, recorded her double-double by the end of the third quarter. The Longhorns, who shot 59% in the first half, dominated inside with a 56-22 scoring advantage in the paint and out-rebounded the Tribe by a wide margin.
Despite Texas’ strong finish, Schaefer acknowledged the team must sharpen its execution before facing tougher opponents.
“We'll need to play better,” Schaefer said. “I don't think anyone in my locker room thought we played very well, and yet we win by 40.”
William & Mary, which had advanced with a First Four win over High Point, was led by Bella Nascimento with 19 points. The team finished its season 16-19 but leaves the tournament with a foundation to build upon.
Texas women’s basketball now advances to the second round, where it will face No. 8 seed Illinois on Monday. The Illini defeated No. 9 Creighton earlier in the day. The Longhorns enter that matchup with a 9-1 record over its last 10 games, while Illinois has gone 6-4 in that span.
The Longhorns are seeking to advance beyond the second round for the first time since 2022. Monday's game will tip off at 2 p.m. EDT in Austin, Texas.
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