Shaylee Gonzales leads No. 15 Texas past Oklahoma State and into Big 12 championship game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Saturday afternoon, the Gonzales family earned free gas and an extended stay.

The gasoline was earned by Josh Gonzales, who won a halftime shooting contest that required him to make a half-court shot. That was worth $6,600 in Phillips 66 gift cards.

As for an extra day in Kansas City, Josh can thank his daughter for that. Texas guard Shaylee Gonzales scored 17 points in the Longhorns' 64-57 win over Oklahoma State at Municipal Auditorium. With the victory, Texas secured a spot in Sunday's Big 12 championship game.

Texas is the tournament's top seed and defending champion. The Longhorns (25-8) will play Iowa State (21-9) at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

"Right now what we're doing as a team is something super special, and I feel like it proves how much hard work we put in every single day, every single practice, every single lift," said Gonzales, a graduate transfer from BYU. "We're super excited for tomorrow's game and hopefully we come out with a win."

Saturday's showdown featured four lead changes and two ties, but Texas never trailed again after the 5:42 mark of the first quarter. The Longhorns were paced offensively by Gonzales, who knocked down three of UT's five 3-pointers and scored on a couple of fast-break opportunities in the second half.

After the game, Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt called Gonzales' 3-pointer to give UT a 34-29 lead just before halftime the biggest play of the game because "it's not about the three points, OK, it's about the momentum."

For the game, Gonzales shot 7-for-11 from the field. That effort came one day after she was 1-of-11 from the field in the Longhorns' 60-42 win over Kansas State.

"Yesterday definitely was not my day and I knew I needed to pick it up and focus and have a better game, a better day," Gonzales said. "I definitely did that. It was just a chip on my shoulder and it's all mental. I was focused and ready for the game."

Gonzales said during her postgame press conference that she had just heard about her father's halftime shooting performance. Gonzales' parents both played basketball at Grand Canyon, and she credited them with the installation of her love for the game. Candice Gonzales coached her daughter in high school. Josh was Shaylee's club coach.

But is her father a better shooter?

"No," Gonzales said.

Gonzales was in foul trouble for much of Saturday's game. She picked up her third with 4:19 left in the second quarter. Twelve seconds into the final frame, she was whistled for her fourth infraction. That forced Texas coach Vic Schaefer to get creative with his rotation since the Longhorns have limited depth at the guard position due to inexperience (freshman Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda), injury (senior Sonya Morris) and unavailability (sophomore Kyndall Hunter).

Texas gave Mwenentanda some playing time and also used a three-forward look that Schaefer said was "really our better defensive lineup." Gonzales still played more than 33 minutes, but Schaefer consistently harped on her to play smart.

"You just try to ham-and-egg it, really," Schaefer said. "Trying to buy some time."

On Friday, Schaefer promoted Saturday's showdown as a battle between all-conference point guards Rori Harmon and Naomie Alnatas. "I'll be the first to say it: build your team around that point guard position," Schaefer told reporters. "In my mind, I got the best one in the country. (Hoyt) probably thinks she's got the best one in the country she brought with her."

Harmon went on to score 11 points and 10 assists and record her fifth double-double of the season. The Big 12's defensive player of the year also led a charge that forced 17 Oklahoma State turnovers.

"Rori is a player I always had respect for," Alnatas said. "She is a great player. She is really smart. I love playing good basketball, and that's what we did out there, you know?"

Oklahoma State (21-11) was led by the 13 points scored by Alnatas. Two 3-pointers by Alnatas pulled Oklahoma State within six and nine points at various points of the fourth quarter, but Texas cut off those rally attempts.

Kassidy De Lapp and Lior Garzon both added 11 points to Oklahoma State's box score. The Cowgirls knocked down eight 3-pointers.

"Coach has done a great job with that group," Schaefer said. "There won't be anybody lining up excited about playing them in the NCAA Tournament, I can tell you."

Notes: Texas also received 14 points from DeYona Gaston and Shay Holle's 13-point contribution. ... With her fourth set-up of a teammate's basket, Harmon became the first Longhorn since Edwina Brown in 2000 to record a 200-assist season. ... Texas split its regular-season series with Iowa State.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas beats Oklahoma State in Big 12 basketball tournament semifinals