The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
9-1
No. 12/10 Florida State
10-1
No. 8 Women's Basketball tops previously undefeated No. 12 Florida State, 87-72
12.17.2017 | Women's Basketball
Texas overcame 11-point deficit in the first quarter to clench the win
Box Score | Postgame Quotes | Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 8 Texas Women's Basketball (9-1) overcame an 11-point first-quarter deficit to defeat No. 12 Florida State (10-1), 87-72, on Sunday at the Frank Erwin Center.
Senior Brooke McCarty scored a season-high 24 points while leading Texas with 34 minutes of play. She was 3-for-4 beyond the arc and 10-of-13 in field goals.
"I thought that we were ourselves today from a competitive spirit, that's who we are," Texas head coach Karen Aston said. "We don't always do everything right and we sure didn't today, but I do think that, most often, we try to compete and play like a team and that was the difference today."
Junior forward Jatarie White earned her first career double-double, tallying a career-high 12 rebounds and scoring 10 points. White led the Longhorns to a 46-32 rebounding advantage over FSU and Texas has held the edge on the boards in nine of 10 games this season.
Guards Ariel Atkins, Lashann Higgs, and Sug Sutton finished with 17, 15, and nine points respectively, with Atkins adding eight rebounds, four steals, and four assists.
The Longhorns recorded nine steals to Florida State's three and Texas scored 18 points off of turnovers.
FSU opened the game with a 10-2 lead, drawing a Texas timeout before two minutes of play had elapsed. But the Longhorns responded with a quick Atkins three-pointer, fighting back to tie at 23-23 with 1:50 left on a Higgs layup from McCarty. With FSU having led by as many as 11, the first quarter comeback was completed as McCarty sunk her second three-point shot of the game for a 26-23 lead with 15 ticks remaining.
The teams continue to battle after the break, locked at 30 points each by the media timeout after five minutes of play in the second quarter. A three-pointer from Sutton pushed Texas ahead following the timeout, 33-30, with Texas sustaining the lead, outrebounding FSU 17-to-10 through the quarter while recording a 9-to-3 turnover advantage by the half for a 41-40 lead.
Texas defended the narrow margin to open the second half, staying ahead of FSU's efficient shooting as the Seminoles were 4-for-6 from beyond the arc over the period. FSU tied the score after five minutes of play at 54-54, but a Higgs layup put Texas back on top, 56-54, and Texas closed out the third with a 7-2 run for a 63-56 lead heading into the final period.
After what had been a competitive opening to the game, Texas continued to gather momentum as the final buzzer drew closer. The Longhorns led by 10 points, 73-63, with a jumper from Atkins with seven minutes remaining and maintained control offensively for a 87-72 finish.
Next, Texas opens Big 12 Conference play at Oklahoma on Thursday, December 28 in Norman. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Fox Sports Oklahoma.
