Texas faces UCLA in the Final Four after handing the Bruins their only loss. Defense, rebounding and slowing Lauren Betts will decide Friday’s showdown.
Texas women’s basketball is back in the Final Four, and this matchup with UCLA presents both a massive challenge and a familiar opportunity.
Vic Schaefer’s Longhorns already proved they can beat the Bruins once, handing UCLA its only loss of the season in a 76-65 win. Now Texas has to do it again with a trip to the national title game on the line.
For Texas, the formula starts where it usually does ... defense.
UCLA enters the Final Four at 35-1 after a perfect 18-0 run through Big Ten play, and the Bruins bring one of the nation’s most efficient offenses with them.
They average 84.9 points per game, rank among the country’s best three-point shooting teams at 36.8 percent, and also defend at a high level, giving up just 56.6 points per game. That balance is why this roster has looked like a championship contender all year.
The biggest issue for Texas is Lauren Betts.
The UCLA center averages 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, and she can take over a game around the rim if she gets comfortable early.
Kyla Oldacre and Breya Cunningham don’t have to dominate offensively, but they do have to stay out of foul trouble and make every post touch difficult.
In the backcourt, Rori Harmon faces another huge assignment against Kiki Rice, who averages just over 15 points per game and drives the Bruins’ offense.
Texas also has to stay attached to Gabriela Jaquez, who shoots better than 54 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from deep, while Gianna Kneepkens is the kind of shooter who can flip momentum in minutes.
That puts pressure on Madison Booker, Harmon and the rest of the Longhorns to be sharp on both ends.
If Texas controls the paint, limits clean looks from three and matches UCLA’s composure late, Schaefer’s team will have a real shot to play for its first national championship in four decades.
Tip-off is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN from Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
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