The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
26-5, 15-3 (2)
West Virginia
21-11, 8-10 (6)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 12 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 55 |
| Texas | 24 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 68 |
No. 7 Women's Basketball defeats West Virginia 68-55 to head to Big 12 Championship Final
03.04.2018 | Women's Basketball
The Longhorns advance to play Baylor in the championship game on Monday night.
Box Score | Postgame Quotes | Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery | Postgame Press Conference
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Junior Texas forward Jatarie White notched her fourth double-double of the season - and second consecutive - as the No. 7 Longhorns (26-5) defeated sixth-seeded West Virginia (21-11), 68-55, in the Big 12 Championship semifinals at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday evening. Texas advances to its third Big 12 Championship final in the last four years and the sixth Championship final in progra history.
Texas improves to 26-20 all-time in the Big 12 Conference Championship.
The game was the 200th for Texas head coach Karen Aston, who improved to 140-60 (.700) in her sixth season as the head coach of the Longhorns.
The 13-point win over the Mountaineers marked Texas and West Virginia's 17th meeting in the history of the two programs. The Longhorns now lead the all-time series 11-6 and have won eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams, including both regular-season contests in 2017-18.
White led the way for the Texas offense with 11 points, a career-high-tying 12 rebounds, two steals, and a block. Sophomore guard Sug Sutton posted 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and gathered a career-high six assists and four rebounds. Senior guard Ariel Atkins scored 10 points, reeling in five rebounds and two assists. The Longhorns had a strong scoring presence, as four Longhorns scored in double-figures.
For the Big 12 Conference Championship, White is averaging 14.5 points per game and a squad-best 12.0 rebounds per game. Atkins is averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game.
Bench play was critical for the Longhorns in the game, as the Texas bench out-scored the West Virginia reserves 25-0.
The Texas offense sputtered to maintain control out of the gate. West Virginia's Kristina King drained the first points of the game, but Atkins got the Longhorns into the scoring column with a jumper. The score was tied at 6:55 remaining, before Atkins sank two free throws and sophomore guard/forward Joyner Holmes ran a break away and finished the shot. WVU's Naomi Davenport tried the Texas defense and broke through, picking up two points and leaving the Longhorns with just a two-point cushion. WVU called time-out with just over 2:20 remaining after White's back-to-back baskets. A put-back from freshman Rellah Boothe gave the :onghorns an eight-point lead. Sutton contributed valuable minutes off the bench early, accounting for eight of Texas' 24 first quarter points. The point guard drained an exciting buzzer-beater three to elevate the margin to 12 at the break.
The second quarter began with Texas scoring two baskets to every one of West Virginia's. The Mountaineers kept fighting, but a pair of Jordan Hosey free throws increased Texas' lead to 16. After the media timeout, the Longhorns hovered in the lead, averaging a 14-point margin. Texas headed into halftime with Atkins and Sutton leading in scoring, each with 10 points, and ahead of WVU by 14. UT outscored West Virginia in each of the first two quarters.
In the third period, senior guard Brooke McCarty saw her first points of the game off a lay-up. Texas kept its foot on the gas pedal with the lead ballooning to as many as 22 (58-36) during the third quarter. West Virginia entered a 3:52 scoring drought as Texas went on a 6-0 run over 3:41. The Mountaineers only connected on one of their last 10 shots, entering into yet another two-plus minute scoring drought. The Longhorns entered the fourth quarter still ahead, 58-40.
West Virginia outscored Texas 15-10 in the fourth quarter, with the Mountaineers holding the Longhorns scoreless for nearly three minutes during the fourth quarter.
Texas will face No. 3 Baylor on Monday in the Big 12 Championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally by FS1. The game will also be broadcast on 105.3 FM in Austin or at texassports.com/audio.
