The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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Kansas
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Collier, Taylor lead No. 21 Women’s Basketball past Kansas
01.14.2021 | Women's Basketball
Charli Collier and Celeste Taylor combined for 51 points to lift Texas to a 79-72 win over Kansas on Thursday.
AUSTIN, Texas – Led by 51 combined points between junior forward/center Charli Collier and sophomore guard Celeste Taylor, the No. 21 Texas women's basketball team bested Kansas, 79-72, on Thursday at the Frank Erwin Center. The win pushed Texas it 9-2 overall on the year, and 3-1 in Big 12 play.
Collier, a Mont Belvieu, Texas native, scored a team-high 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. She added 14 rebounds (10 def/4 off) to tally her seventh double-double of the season, tied for the fourth most in Division I. Thursday also marked Collier's 12th career 20-point game, and her seventh during the current campaign.
Taylor, a Valley Stream, N.Y. native, returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 9 on Thursday and poured in 23 points on 9-of-20 (4-6 3FG) from the floor. Her nine field goals and four 3-pointers both matched her previous career-high performances. In addition, Taylor grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists.
Collier and Taylor are the first Texas duo to each score 20-plus points in a game this season.
Texas opened the game in strong fashion, grabbing a 23-20 lead after the game's opening frame. Collier (8 pts, 4-5 FG, 5 reb) and Taylor (6 pts, 2-2 3FG) led the way for Texas in the first quarter, scoring 14 points between them. It was the eighth time this season that Texas has been leading or tied after the first quarter, with the Longhorns now holding an 8-0 record in those contests. UT shot 62.5% from the floor (10-16) and 75% from behind the arc (3-4) during the opening 10 minutes of the game.
The Longhorns are scheduled to return to action on Sunday, Jan. 17, with a road contest at Texas Tech. Tip-off is currently slated for 3 p.m. CT on Big 12 Now/ESPN+.
Texas Women's Basketball Postgame Notes
No. 21 Texas 79, Kansas 72
January 14, 2021
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas)
Team Notes
• Marked Texas' 16th victory against Kansas in the programs' last 17 meetings, dating back to the 2013 season.
• Forced 15 turnovers, and committed only nine. Entering Thursday, Texas ranked in the top-10 nationally in turnover margin (+8.10) this season.
• Charli Collier (28 points) and Celeste Taylor (23 points) combined to become the first Texas duo to each score 20-plus points in a game this season.
• Texas held a 23-20 lead after the opening quarter. It was the eighth time this season the Longhorns have been tied or leading after 10 minutes, with UT going 8-0 in those outings (7-0 lead, 1-0 tied).
Charli Collier
• Has started all 11 games this season.
• Recorded her 12th career 20-point game, and seventh this season.
• Logged her seventh double-double of the season, tied for the fourth-most in Division I.
• Made double-digit field goals for the third time this season (North Texas, Lamar).
• Grabbed four offensive rebounds, her seventh time grabbing at least four offensive rebounds this season. Entering Thursday, she ranked 15th in Division I with 4.3 offensive rebounds per game.
Celeste Taylor
• Returned to the starting lineup for the first time Dec. 9 vs. Idaho.
• Scored 23 points, her best outing since scoring 24 vs. SMU in the season opener.
• Tied her career-high with four 3-pointers, all in the first half.
• Also was the fourth time this season she has made at least two 3-pointers in a game (SMU, Louisiana Tech, Idaho).
• Matched her career high with nine made field goals.
• Tallied her fourth career 20-point game (second this season).
Kyra Lambert
• Logged her seventh-straight start.
• Dished out six assists, her fourth game with at least five assists this season.
• Committed only one turnover. Entering Thursday, was ranked in the top-10 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Karisma Ortiz
• Started her seventh-straight game, and 10th overall this season.
• Tallied three assists, one shy of matching her season-high.
Joanne Allen-Taylor
• Has started all 11 games this season.
