AUSTIN (KXAN) — Madison Booker and Rori Harmon combined for 42 points to lead No. 7 Texas past Auburn 74-57 Thursday in Southeastern Conference women’s basketball action at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama.
Booker scored a game-high 22 points on 6 of 12 shooting with six rebounds while Harmon had her best offensive game of the season, pouring in 20 points on 9 of 15 from the field with six assists. Taylor Jones scored 15 points with seven rebounds to help the Longhorns outrebound the Tigers 34-27.
“We showed some toughness tonight,” Harmon said. “They came back a little bit but we executed when we needed to and had good defensive stops.”
Texas led 44-23 after the first half and head coach Vic Schaefer said while that was good, he said the team didn’t have the same energy in the second half.
“I couldn’t play my bench tonight which was disappointing,” Schaefer said. “I had to play a lot of kids a lot of minutes, but I’m proud of them because it’s still a win on the road in the SEC.”
Both teams took 55 shots and Texas sank 25 to Auburn’s 21. The Longhorns were 4-for-8 from 3-point range with Booker connecting on a pair while Harmon and Shay Holle each made one. Texas shot 87% from the foul line, converting 20 of 23 attempts. Auburn shot 13-for-17 from the foul line.
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DeYona Gaston and Mar’Shaun Bostic each had 18 points for Auburn but no other player scored more than six. Gaston played four seasons for the Longhorns before moving on to Auburn as a graduate transfer in the offseason.
The game was a bit sloppy with the teams combining for 36 turnovers and 38 fouls. Auburn had 19 turnovers and was whistled for 24 fouls with Bostic fouling out. Texas was called for 14 fouls and committed 17 turnovers.
With the win, Holle became the all-time winningest player in Texas women’s basketball history with 126 victories. The Austin native and Westlake graduate said the record is “crazy.”
“It’s something I never really thought would happen,” she said. “It’s surreal to be in that moment, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Texas (17-2, 4-1 SEC) takes on No. 8 Maryland in nonconference action Jan. 20 at the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey. The Longhorns get back to SEC play Jan. 23 at home against No. 15 Tennessee.