Women’s basketball moves on from loss to Baylor, prepares for Sooners

By Blanche Schaefer

The No. 6 women’s basketball team is undefeated no longer after suffering its first loss of the season last weekend against Baylor. But the Longhorn players say they are taking it in stride. The team has a sense of maturity that it lacked last season, and moving on from losses is all part of the gameplan.

“We all were aware of the opportunities we squandered last season, so we just tried to make sure we refocused,” senior center Imani Boyette said. “We just had to make sure we focused on the details and got back to playing our type of basketball.”

Before the loss to Baylor, UT had won its last three games by an average of 29 points. But the Longhorns [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)] are getting back on track after defeating TCU Wednesday with a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. UT now sits at 17-1 overall and 6-1 against Big 12 opponents as it enters the heart of conference play.

“This can’t turn into one or two losses,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said. “We have to refocus — our seniors understand that, and I think they’ll make sure we are focused.”

Texas has maintained its focus throughout the month of January. The Longhorns took down Iowa State, 75-54, Jan. 6, breaking the Cyclones’ three-game win streak over the ‘Horns. The Texas defense held the Iowa State offense to 33 percent field goal efficiency, and Boyette brought down a season-high 17 rebounds. Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty carried the Longhorn offense with 17 points, including a season-high five three-pointers on seven attempts from behind the arc. McCarty attributed her offensive performance to the team’s ability to relax and fall into a comfortable rhythm. Aston said the Longhorns’ defensive energy was key to shutting down the Cyclones.

“I was very pleased,” Aston said. “(Iowa State) is a hard team to play. It’s one of those matchups that has been difficult for us in the past, and it was pleasing to be able to defend them a little bit better than we had in the past and attack the areas that were open.”

Texas’ energy continued as the Longhorns hit the road and defeated Oklahoma State, 78-48, Jan. 9. The UT defense was lights-out again, keeping the Cowgirl offense off balance at a mere 28 percent from the field, compared to 53 percent for the Texas offense, which was led by double-digit performances by Boyette and freshman forward Jordan Hosey. Hosey posted a career-high 12 points, hitting all four field goals and all four free throws that she attempted in the game. Boyette added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Aston said Texas’ balance contributed to the team’s best showing of the season so far.

“This was by far the best performance we’ve had from start to finish,” Aston said after the game. “(Oklahoma State) is a team that is a tough matchup for us because they can physically match up with us in the paint. Everybody came in and did (her) job, and it was fun to watch.”

The Longhorns maintained their win streak on the road with a 75-38 win at Kansas. Texas started off strong on a 17-0 run, and the defense held KU to just seven points in the first quarter. The Longhorns shot 85 percent from the free-throw line, a big improvement from Texas’ past woes from the charity stripe. Aston also emptied her bench, getting all 13 eligible players some time on the court.

“Our team got off to a fast start — a really good start — once again,” Aston said. “We were ready to play and then we got bogged down a little bit. Kansas settled down and started making shots in the second quarter, (but) I am pleased with this effort. You are always pleased with getting a road win.”

But Texas couldn’t stay undefeated forever. UT inevitably fell Jan. 17 to No. 4 Baylor, 80-67. Turnovers and foul trouble hit the Longhorns early, limiting the Texas starters’ minutes. UT trailed by as many as 19 points in the third quarter, only to narrow the margin to seven points with 1:14 remaining in the game, but ran out of time to mount a comeback. After the loss, players said they see the loss as just another game and are focused on preparing for upcoming matchups.

“Anytime you lose to your rival, it stings,” Boyette said. “But at the end of the day, it is just another game, and we are going to come back into work tomorrow.”

Texas hit the reset button and returned to action with a come-from-behind 65-58 win Jan. 20 at TCU. UT faced an 11-point deficit in the second quarter, but a 6-0 run sparked the offense as the Longhorns chipped away at TCU’s lead. Texas tied the game in the fourth quarter and pulled ahead for good with five minutes remaining, thanks in large part to Boyette, who posted her sixth double-double in seven conference games with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Aston said the Longhorns’ second-half play was central to pulling off the hard-fought victory.

“TCU is a really good basketball team that is a difficult guard for us,” Aston said. “We played tentative in the first half — maybe a hangover from the loss to Baylor. We locked down with our fundamentals a little bit better in the second half and just made better decisions.”

With its first loss out of the way, Texas heads into a rivalry game at 11 a.m., Jan. 23, against No. 19 Oklahoma in Austin.

“We just have to take it one game at a time,” senior guard Empress Davenport said. “We have OU at home next weekend, so (Baylor) was just another game to us.”

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