The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
5-1,0-0Big 12
Drake
2-4,0-0MVC
No. 22 Women’s Basketball hits century mark in 101-80 win over Drake
12.18.2020 | Women's Basketball
Five Longhorns scored in double figures led by junior guard Joanne Allen-Taylor’s career-high 23 points
AUSTIN, Texas – On Friday night at the Frank Erwin Center, junior guard Joanne Allen-Taylor posted her first career double-double and led five Longhorns in double figures with a career-high 23 points as No. 22 Texas women's basketball (5-1) dashed its way past Drake (2-4) in a high-energy contest, 101-80.
Overall, Texas reached the century mark for the second time in 2020-21, tied for its most made field goals in a game this season with 36 and nabbed a season-best 16 steals. UT also started a perfect 17-for-17 from the free throw line before finishing with its best shooting percentage from the charity stripe this year at 82.1% (23-for-28).
Allen-Taylor led the offensive charge with her first career double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, while junior guard/forward Audrey Warren managed 18 points, nabbed five steals and dished three assists. Junior forward/center Charli Collier (17), junior forward/center Lauren Ebo (14) and senior guard Kyra Lambert (11) rounded out the Longhorns quintet in double figures.
Ebo's 14-point, seven-rebound effort came over the first 23 minutes of her Texas playing career, while Lambert also added eight boards, dished six assists and grabbed seven steals.
With the teams locked early at 6-6, a three-pointer from redshirt sophomore guard Karisma Ortiz ignited what eventually turned into a 21-3 Texas run as the Burnt Orange & White roared to a commanding 27-9 lead with 3:38 to go in the first quarter.
Over that spurt, Warren scored nine of her 11 first-quarter points, Allen-Taylor added five and both Collier and Lambert scored two points each.
Drake battled right back with a run of its own as a Monica Burich driving lay-up finished a 10-2 run to pull the Bulldogs back within 10 at 29-19 with 1:38 remaining in the opening stanza.
With Texas holding a 33-22 advantage, after shooting 61.1% during the first quarter, Drake came out firing from long range early in the second as Kierra Collier and Maddie Monahan each hit triples to cut the Bulldog deficit to 38-30.
The two teams continued the back-and-forth over the remainder of the first half with Allen-Taylor scoring 13 of her team-high 23 points in the second frame to help Texas gain some breathing room at the break, 59-44.
The third quarter proved decisive in the contest as the Longhorns out-scored Drake, 28-14, on the way to building a commanding 29-point advantage at 87-58. In the frame, Collier scored 11 and Warren added seven as the UT squad hit 11-for-18 from the field.
The closest Drake would manage to get the rest of the way was 19 points at 99-80 with just 1:15 left to play as Kierra Collier converted on a fast break lay-up.
Texas Women's Basketball Postgame Notes
Drake 80, #22 Texas 101
December 18, 2020
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Team Notes
- Texas' 33 points in the opening quarter tied for the second-most points in a single quarter in program history. The Longhorns set the Texas record earlier this season with 38 points in the third quarter against North Texas (Nov. 29).
- Texas reached the 100-point mark for the second time this season and the 71st time overall. UT improved to 71-0 all-time when hitting the century plateau in a contest.
- Texas' 59 first-half points were its most over the opening 20 minutes of play this year.
- Texas continued taking charges at a solid rate, adding two more to give the Longhorns 21 for the season. Overall, 11 of those charges have been taken by junior guard/forward Audrey Warren.
- Texas set a new season-high against Drake by grabbing 16 steals. The old mark was 15 against SMU (Nov. 25).
- The Longhorns started a perfect 17-for-17 from the FT line on the way to their top percentage FT shooting performance of the season at 23-for-28 (.821).
- Five Longhorns reached double figures in scoring in a game for the fourth time this season: Joanne Allen-Taylor (23), Audrey Warren (18), Charli Collier (17), Lauren Ebo (14) and Kyra Lambert (11).
- Texas' 36 made field goals tied for its most in a game this season. UT also had 36 in its 106-69 victory over North Texas (Nov. 29).
- Having entered the night ranked in the NCAA Division I top 10 in turnovers forced, Texas caused 21 Drake miscues that led to 33 total points.
- Texas improved to 3-1 all-time in its series against Drake and 3-0 versus the Bulldogs in Austin.
- Allen-Taylor needed just 14:15 of game action to set a new career-high, finishing the contest with 23 points. Her old mark was 15 points and she had reached that twice, most recently against Idaho (Dec. 9).
- Allen-Taylor managed her first career double-double in the win over Drake (23 points, 10 boards).
- Allen-Taylor also set a new career-high in free throws made (10) and rebounds (10).
- Allen-Taylor played 36 minutes, dished two assists, made two steals and registered no turnovers.
- Allen-Taylor has scored in double figures in each of the last five games, the longest streak of her career.
- Warren's 18 points were the third-most in a single game in her career (high was 21 against Tennessee back in 2018-19). She has now reached double figures in five-of-six games this season.
- Warren set a new career-high with five steals and tied her career-high for free throws made (six).
- Lambert set a career-high with seven steals against Drake. She also came close to career-highs in rebounds (eight) and field goals made (five) was also dishing a team-high six assists.
- With 17 points, Collier reached double figures for the sixth consecutive game. That's the second-longest streak of her career (seven in 2019-20).
- Collier tied her career-high with two steals.
- Ebo put up 14 points, seven boards, one assist and one block in her first career minutes in the Burnt Orange & White.
- Holle set new career-highs with seven points and three made field goals.
- Holle also made her first career collegiate three-pointer.
