Texas women’s basketball rolled past Kentucky 76-54 in the Sweet 16 as Madison Booker sparked a dominant effort that sent the Longhorns to the Elite Eight.
FORT WORTH - Texas women’s basketball is headed to the Elite Eight after a commanding 76-54 win over Kentucky in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 on Saturday in the Fort Worth Regional.
From the opening minutes, Texas looked like the sharper, tougher team.
After Kentucky scored first, the Longhorns immediately flipped the game with a huge burst that put the Wildcats on their heels and never really let them recover.
By the end of the first quarter, Texas had built a massive 29-11 lead and turned the game into a showcase of pressure defense, transition offense and poise.
Madison Booker once again set the tone for Texas in a performance that matched the moment.
The senior guard stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals, impacting nearly every possession.
Her energy on both ends helped power a Longhorns defense that constantly disrupted Kentucky’s rhythm and forced mistake after mistake.
Texas also got key contributions from across the floor.
Bryanna Preston delivered one of the highlight plays of the night with a slick no-look setup in transition, while Jordan Lee and Breya Cunningham helped keep the offense balanced and efficient.
Even with a comfortable lead, the Longhorns kept attacking, showing the kind of edge championship teams need this time of year.
That intensity mattered when Kentucky made a brief push in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats cut into the margin, but Texas answered quickly with a decisive run that shut the door for good and reminded everyone why the Longhorns entered the regional as a No. 1 seed.
Now, Texas advances to face No. 2 seed Michigan with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
If the Longhorns bring the same defensive pressure and all-around execution they showed against Kentucky, they’ll be a tough out for anyone left in the bracket.
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