Longhorns smother Gonzaga defensively, advance to Elite Eight 69-47

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas took its defense to new heights in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

The Longhorns held Gonzaga, the nation’s best 3-point shooting team and No. 10 scoring offense coming into the game, to 26% shooting and a season-low 18 points in the first half to run away with a 69-47 win at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

With the win, the top-seeded Longhorns advance to the Elite Eight and will take on No. 3 North Carolina State at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Wolfpack beat No. 2 Stanford 77-67 earlier Friday to advance.

“Our attention to detail was off the chart,” Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer said. “Our focus on defense was on point and our bench play was great. We beat a really good basketball team tonight, but this group had a little bit of an edge to them.”

Coming into the game, Gonzaga shot 49% from the field during the season and 41% from 3-point range. The Longhorns played incredibly tough defense, especially against ball screens on the perimeter, and shut down lanes for the Bulldogs to get open shots. Gonzaga finished the game 4 for 22 from 3-point range and 13 for 49 from the field overall, well below their season averages.

“We contested every shot and our communication was on point,” Schaefer said.

Texas started the game shorthanded with forward Taylor Jones out due to concussion protocol, but Aaliyah Moore handled the offensive load in the paint just fine. She scored a game-high 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. She added six assists to her impressive tally for a terrific all-around game.

Texas outscored Gonzaga 36-18 in the paint and showcased their depth down low even more with Jones being unavailable. Khadija Faye scored eight points off the bench while Amina Muhammad and DeYona Gaston each chipped in six. Texas’ reserves outscored Gonzaga’s 14-2.

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“We compete every day in practice, and they were ready when their names were called,” Moore said of the bench play. “I’m extremely proud of them.”

With All-American freshman Madison Booker in foul trouble the entire game, Texas senior guards Shaylee Gonzales and Shay Holle combined to fill the void. Gonzales finished with 15 points while Holle notched 12, and the Longhorns shot 50% from the field with 16 assists.

Booker finished with six points and eight rebounds. Gonzales played most of the game at point guard while Booker was on the bench and did a tremendous job.

“She did a heck of a job tonight,” Schaefer said. “She played her guts out. She’s an incredible young lady and a basketball player. We’re really blessed to have her. You never know when these things happen, when a young player struggles a bit, and she picked up the slack.”

Gonzales said she “had a chip on her shoulder,” having played Gonzaga for four years while she was at BYU.

“I knew their team very well, and I didn’t want to lose,” she said. “This win is huge for us.”

The Longhorns committed 19 turnovers, three more than the Bulldogs, but Texas somewhat limited the damage by allowing 12 points off of them. Texas scored 18 points off 16 Gonzaga turnovers.

For Gonzaga, Yvonne Ejim scored 14 points on 4 of 10 shooting before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Brynne Maxwell had 13 points on 4 of 13 shooting.

Game log

FINAL: Texas 69, Gonzaga 47.

4:54 4Q: Texas 59, Gonzaga 42. Madison Booker picked up her fourth foul earlier in the frame and is on the bench, as is Ejim for Gonzaga.

End 3Q: Texas 54, Gonzaga 35. Bulldogs now shooting 25% from the field at 9 for 36 as Ejim gets a bucket right before the buzzer. Gonzales leads Texas with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting. Booker has three fouls and took a seat for a portion of the quarter.

1:01 3Q: Texas 54, Gonzaga 33. Aaliyah Moore went to the bench with what appeared to be a leg cramp, but that didn’t slow the Longhorns down. They’ve got their largest lead of the game with the third quarter winding down.

3:57 3Q: Texas 46, Gonzaga 31. The Bulldogs are starting to hit their jump shots now, upping their field goal percentage to 26% (8 for 31), but the Longhorns are also hitting shots. Shaylee Gonzales has scored Texas’ last five points and the Horns are shooting 50% from the field.

Halftime: Texas 37, Gonzaga 18. Gonzaga didn’t make a bucket for the last 6:37 and Shay Holle buried a 3-pointer in the corner right before the horn. Texas is defending its tail off, holding a terrific shooting team to 3 of 21 from the field. Holle leads the way with 10 points, Moore with nine points and four rebounds. Texas is outrebounding Gonzaga 20-13.

Texas has five players with two fouls as the half winds down while Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim has been on the bench with three fouls.

2:52 2Q: Texas 29, Gonzaga 16. Gonzaga has scored as many points from the foul line as from the field. They’ve made 8 of 10 free throws but are 3 for 20 from the field including 2 for 8 from 3-point range. That’s correct, Gonzaga has made just one 2-point basket the entire game.

4:30 2Q: Texas 27, Gonzaga 15. The Longhorns are in foul trouble yet extended their lead with a lot of bench players making the most out of their opportunities. Booker has been on the bench the entire quarter with two fouls. Gonzaga still dreadful from the field, shooting 3 for 17. Texas defending their motion offense with a hard hedge on ball screens and it’s working.

End 1Q: Texas 18, Gonzaga 9. Horns get buckets from Aaliyah Moore and DeYona Gaston before the horn sounds. Gonzaga finished the quarter making just one of its last 10 shots. Holle and Gonzales each with five points for Texas. Gonzaga is 2 of 11 from the field. Madison Booker had to sit out as she picked up two early fouls.

2:47 1Q: Texas 14, Gonzaga 7. Horns on a 10-0 run and get back-to-back 3-pointers from Shaylee Gonzales and Shay Holle.

4:35 1Q: Texas 8, Gonzaga 7. Four Longhorns have scored so far and they’ve forced Gonzaga to commit four turnovers already.

10:00 1Q: Texas forward Taylor Jones is in concussion protocol and is not expected to play in tonight’s game. She took a hard fall against Alabama in the second round, but returned to that game. DeYona Gaston is starting in her place.

Pregame: No. 3 North Carolina State knocked off No. 2 Stanford 77-67 to advance to the Elite Eight. The winner of the Texas-Gonzaga game will take on the Wolfpack at 2 p.m. Sunday.

KXAN sports director Roger Wallace is in the Pacific Northwest for the game

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