Vic Schaefer makes confident claim about Texas after reaching Sweet 16
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No. 1-seed Texas women’s basketball advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women's basketball tournament Monday night with a 65-48 win over No. 8 Illinois, and head coach Vic Schaefer made clear afterward that he believes this Longhorns team is special.
"I'm excited to take this group to Birmingham," Schaefer said, per reporter Chip Brown on X, formerly Twitter. "This is one of my better teams, y'all, and that's why I want it so bad for them. We've got enough."
With the win, Texas (33-3) reaches the regional semifinals for the fourth time in the past five seasons. The Longhorns will now face No. 5 seed Tennessee in Birmingham on Saturday.
#Texas coach Vic Schaefer on moving on to the Sweet 16:
"I'm excited to take this group to Birmingham. This is one of my better teams, y'all, and that's why I want it so bad for them. We've got enough." pic.twitter.com/BVkZ92GKy9— Chip Brown (@ChipBrown247) March 24, 2025
Texas used a dominant defensive effort to take control of the second-round March Madness matchup. After a close first quarter, the Longhorns outscored Illinois 18-6 in the second, then extended the lead to as much as 24 in the third. They forced 20 turnovers and turned them into 23 points.
All-American guard Madison Booker led the team with 20 points, while Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda added 19 off the bench. Freshman Jordan Lee made her second consecutive start in place of Mwenentanda, but the sophomore forward responded with a career-high scoring performance on 7-of-10 shooting.
"I've been prepared for this moment since day one freshman year," Mwenentanda said, as reported by Jim Vertuno of the Associated Press. "You just saw the most confident version of myself."
Texas women’s basketball star Rori Harmon, who missed last year's NCAA Tournament due to injury, had four steals and played a key role defensively, particularly against Illinois guard Genesis Bryant, who turned the ball over six times.
"I take pride in my defense," Harmon said. "I just want to play so hard just because I wasn't playing in the tournament last year."
Texas, which didn't hit a 3-pointer in the game, instead leaned on its size and pressure defense to overwhelm the Illini (22-10). Adalia McKenzie led Illinois with 13 points.
"They are so strong and physical and long," Illinois coach Shauna said. "It wears on you."
Texas women’s basketball now turns its attention to Tennessee as the Longhorns aim to reach their third Elite Eight under Schaefer.
"This group is locked in," Schaefer said. "We're focused, and we're ready to keep going."
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