The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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No. 7/9 Women’s Basketball takes down No. 4 Baylor, 67-58, in Big 12 Championship Game
03.13.2022 | Women's Basketball
Rori Harmon scores 20 points in leading the Longhorns to their first conference tourney title since 2003.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No. 7/9 Texas Women's Basketball capped a thrilling Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Tournament run with a 67-58 victory over No. 4 Baylor at Municipal Auditorium on Sunday. Vic Schaefer's third-seeded Longhorns got double-digit scoring from three different players and were fueled by a stingy defense that forced 16 turnovers from the top-seeded Bears on the way to securing its first Big 12 Tournament title since 2003. It was UT's first title game appearance since 2017-18, and the Horns last won a Big 12 Championship when they shared the regular season crown with Kansas State in 2004.
"I couldn't be more-proud of my team," Schaefer said. "I think you saw some really determined kids. They're not intimidated. Going into competition there are so many things you have to do. Being tough isn't just about being stronger or more physical. Coming off three games in three days, overtime yesterday, that game was won back in August on the track. These kids would not be denied."
CHAMPIONS 🏆#TexasFight pic.twitter.com/JIKIleJE81
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 13, 2022
The Longhorns head into the NCAA Tourney on an 11-game winning streak, their longest since 2016-17. Texas improved to 26-6 on the year and the win snapped a 13-game losing streak to Baylor. The 26 wins are already the most in a season since UT won 28 games in 2017-18.
As she did throughout the tournament, freshman guard Rori Harmon led the way, scoring 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting and dishing out five assists with no turnovers in the championship game. Senior guard Joanne Allen-Taylor added 14 points and a team-high three steals, while freshman guard Aaliyah Moore chipped in 12 points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Shay Holle had a team-best six rebounds and contributed seven points, as well. Harmon and Allen-Taylor both played all 40 minutes of the title game.
"What did it take? It took Texas Fight, that's what it took, that was all," Harmon told ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden after the game. "Literally everybody had their heart in to win and we did."
"What did it take? It took Texas Fight." pic.twitter.com/nhN131qD1m
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 13, 2022
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Harmon, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, was named the Big 12 Championship Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 66 points to go with 13 assists in three games. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by senior center Lauren Ebo, who recorded 35 points and 18 rebounds for the tourney.
Texas and Baylor exchanged leads throughout the first quarter before Harmon's bucket as time expired in the period put the Horns up, 16-14. UT never looked back, outscoring the Bears, 23-14, in the second quarter and again with an exclamation point from Harmon. The freshman's layup as the clock ran out took the Longhorns to the locker room with an 11-point (39-28) halftime advantage.
Baylor pulled to within seven midway through the final quarter, but junior guard Aliyah Matharu's three-pointer on an assist from Harmon extended the lead back to 10 (59-49). Allen-Taylor added to that advantage with a jumper on the next possession, and Texas was back up by a dozen (61-49) with about three minutes left.
The Bears had one more run in them, drawing within seven with 2:13 to go, but the ever-reliable veteran Allen-Taylor scored again to extend the lead to nine (63-54) with 1:43 remaining. Harmon and Matharu combined to go 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to secure the nine-point Longhorn win and Big 12 Championship Tournament title.
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