Longhorns, Cardinals expect physical game in NCAA women’s 2nd round

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Louisville and Texas meet Monday in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the game the teams played against each other in November on foreign soil doesn’t mean a thing.

Yes, the Cardinals beat the Longhorns 71-63 in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Paradise Island, Bamahams on Nov. 20, but both teams are miles removed from that game. Also, Texas has its playmaker and facilitator back in sophomore point guard Rori Harmon.


Texas Longhorns hammer East Carolina Pirates 79-40 in 1st round of NCAA women’s tourney

Texas clobbered its first-round opponent Saturday, dishing out a 79-40 beatdown of 13th-seeded East Carolina. Louisville, the region’s No. 5 seed, got all it could handle from 12th-seeded Drake in an 83-81 nailbiter. However, the Longhorns aren’t letting the respective margins of victory dictate how they’ll approach Monday’s game, set for 6 p.m. at Moody Center.

“We have to be really ready for a great ball club, Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer said. “I thought we played with a lot of energy last night. I told them today in film, I was really proud of our effort. I thought we played hard. And that’s all I care about.”

MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters

With Harmon back on the floor, the Longhorns are a completely different team. She’s the straw that stirs the drink, so to speak, and her fingerprints are on just about everything the team does. Having to sit out the previous matchup against the Cardinals was tough on her, and also tough on the team. While she was sidelined, the Longhorns fell completely out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll and started the season 2-3.

“That was a long time ago. But, to be on the sideline is a completely different perspective than actually playing the basketball game,” she said. “We’ve obviously improved a lot since that game. And if we just stick with what worked and we got better at what didn’t work and just keep them off the boards, I think we’ll be very pleased with ourselves.”

Harmon was the Big 12 Conference defensive player of the year and is fourth in Division I averaging 7.5 assists per game. She was one of just 29 players in Division I to register a triple-double this season and the undisputed leader of the team as just a sophomore.

She said she expects a physical game between two of Division I’s most prolific offenses.

“Both teams have that aggression in them,” she said. “And that’s part of their culture. That’s how we both play. And so we just have to be physically ready as well as mentally. But physically it’s going to play a big part in this game. The more physical competitor will probably end up winning.”


Rori Harmon’s focus on training: An inside look at the point guard’s work ethic

Schaefer said Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith, No. 27 in Division I with 19.7 points per game this season, will be a handful. Van Lith scored 13 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Cardinals over Drake in the first round, and he’s said all season long that teams win with guard play.

“It was key the first matchup that we played them,” Schaefer said. Van Lith had 18 points against the Longhorns in their previous game.

“And he’s [Louisville coach Jeff Walz] changed up his lineup a little bit in his last 10, he’s gone
with a different lineup. 8-2 with the last 10 with a different starting lineup. He’s obviously found something he likes and is very comfortable with.”

Van Lith knows Texas is a different team with Harmon on the floor. She said Harmon’s “elite court vision” gives the team a different dynamic and allows them to get the ball in the post where they’ve dominated previously.

“I think picking her up early, not letting her have a bunch of free-thinking time to make decisions will be important for us,” she said. “And, yeah, just wearing her out in the backcourt. I
think full-court defense is going to be big for us.”

The winner advances to the Sweet 16, held March 24 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

 

Texas guard Shaylee Gonzales (2) battles East Carolina forward Iycez Adams (20) and guard Synia Johnson (4) for control of the ball during the first half of…

Texas guard Shaylee Gonzales (2) battles East Carolina forward Iycez Adams (20) and guard Synia Johnson (4) for control of the ball during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Austin, Texas, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When Louisville and Texas meet Monday in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the game the teams played against each other in November on foreign soil doesn’t mean a thing.

Yes, the Cardinals beat the Longhorns 71-63 in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Paradise Island, Bamahams on Nov. 20, but both teams are miles removed from that game. Also, Texas has its playmaker and facilitator back in sophomore point guard Rori Harmon.


Texas Longhorns hammer East Carolina Pirates 79-40 in 1st round of NCAA women’s tourney

Texas clobbered its first-round opponent Saturday, dishing out a 79-40 beatdown of 13th-seeded East Carolina. Louisville, the region’s No. 5 seed, got all it could handle from 12th-seeded Drake in an 83-81 nailbiter. However, the Longhorns aren’t letting the respective margins of victory dictate how they’ll approach Monday’s game, set for 6 p.m. at Moody Center.

“We have to be really ready for a great ball club, Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer said. “I thought we played with a lot of energy last night. I told them today in film, I was really proud of our effort. I thought we played hard. And that’s all I care about.”

MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters

With Harmon back on the floor, the Longhorns are a completely different team. She’s the straw that stirs the drink, so to speak, and her fingerprints are on just about everything the team does. Having to sit out the previous matchup against the Cardinals was tough on her, and also tough on the team. While she was sidelined, the Longhorns fell completely out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll and started the season 2-3.

“That was a long time ago. But, to be on the sideline is a completely different perspective than actually playing the basketball game,” she said. “We’ve obviously improved a lot since that game. And if we just stick with what worked and we got better at what didn’t work and just keep them off the boards, I think we’ll be very pleased with ourselves.”

Harmon was the Big 12 Conference defensive player of the year and is fourth in Division I averaging 7.5 assists per game. She was one of just 29 players in Division I to register a triple-double this season and the undisputed leader of the team as just a sophomore.

She said she expects a physical game between two of Division I’s most prolific offenses.

“Both teams have that aggression in them,” she said. “And that’s part of their culture. That’s how we both play. And so we just have to be physically ready as well as mentally. But physically it’s going to play a big part in this game. The more physical competitor will probably end up winning.”


Rori Harmon’s focus on training: An inside look at the point guard’s work ethic

Schaefer said Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith, No. 27 in Division I with 19.7 points per game this season, will be a handful. Van Lith scored 13 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Cardinals over Drake in the first round, and he’s said all season long that teams win with guard play.

“It was key the first matchup that we played them,” Schaefer said. Van Lith had 18 points against the Longhorns in their previous game.

“And he’s [Louisville coach Jeff Walz] changed up his lineup a little bit in his last 10, he’s gonewith a different lineup. 8-2 with the last 10 with a different starting lineup. He’s obviously found something he likes and is very comfortable with.”

Van Lith knows Texas is a different team with Harmon on the floor. She said Harmon’s “elite court vision” gives the team a different dynamic and allows them to get the ball in the post where they’ve dominated previously.

“I think picking her up early, not letting her have a bunch of free-thinking time to make decisions will be important for us,” she said. “And, yeah, just wearing her out in the backcourt. Ithink full-court defense is going to be big for us.”

The winner advances to the Sweet 16, held March 24 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

<article class="article-list__article" data-article-id="1691365" data-index="0" data-collection="article-list1" data-anvato-params=" Monday, March 20 morning headlines

9 hours ago

APD opens homicide investigation after man found …

9 hours ago

Austin to mark coldest spring equinox in 40 years …

19 hours ago

‘I loved it’: SXSW wraps up 2023 conference and festival

19 hours ago

Saving San Jose Cemetery I: Why the community is …

1 day ago

Fish killed by spill in Shoal Creek still not cleaned …

2 days ago

State of Texas: Renters in ‘crisis’ after Texas Rent …

2 days ago

State of Texas: Lawmakers battler over healthcare …

2 days ago

State of Texas: Texans report long waits to get a …

2 days ago

State of Texas: McCaul cites ‘threat’ as reason for …

2 days ago


More Videos


Sports Headlines


St. Francis, Brooklyn, to drop NCAA D-I athletics …

/ 18 mins ago


Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino accepts job at St. …

/ 1 hour ago


Georgetown hires Providence’s Ed Cooley as basketball …

/ 2 hours ago


Austin Reaves rising to challenges in Lakers’ playoff …

/ 2 hours ago


Paris aims to keep Olympians cool without air conditioners

/ 5 hours ago


The maddest March ever? Underdogs head to the Sweet …

/ 5 hours ago


Qatar: 4,000 World Cup huts sent to quake-hit Turkey, …

/ 6 hours ago


Logano, Ford deliver answer to Chevy’s strong NASCAR …

/ 6 hours ago


Ja Morant ready to rejoin Grizzlies, NBA suspension …

/ 7 hours ago


Ole Miss stuns Stanford, reaches first Sweet 16 in …

/ 14 hours ago


US routs Cuba 14-2 to reach World Baseball Classic …

/ 15 hours ago


Gonzaga, Timme move to Sweet 16 with 84-81 win over …

/ 16 hours ago


Florida Atlantic ends Fairleigh Dickinson’s run for …

/ 17 hours ago


Czech dazzles in south Florida finale, Horns go 4-1

/ 18 hours ago


UT baseball wins 10th straight, sweeps New Orleans

/ 19 hours ago


Michigan State outlasts Marquette; Izzo back to Sweet …

/ 20 hours ago


Moore delivers surprise, tops Spieth, Schenk at Innisbrook

/ 20 hours ago


Horns, Cards expect ‘physical’ game in NCAA 2nd round

/ 21 hours ago


Logano passes Keselowski on last lap, gives Ford …

/ 21 hours ago


2 Fulham players, coach sent off in chaos at Man …

/ 21 hours ago


View All Sports


Top Stories


Report: Drastic changes needed to avert climate crisis

/ 10 mins ago


1 dead, 1 hurt in Texas school shooting; suspect …

/ 4 mins ago


Deputies to patrol US Highway 290 in Dripping Springs

/ 37 mins ago


Crow Bar to move from South Congress after 2022 fire

/ 1 hour ago


Affidavit: TX connection to CO poisoning investigation

/ 2 hours ago


Lawmakers consider denying bail for violent offenses

/ 2 hours ago


Police feared Uvalde gunman’s AR-15

/ 3 hours ago


AISD: How open should superintendent search be?

/ 1 hour ago


Report shows April 16 is best week to list your home

/ 26 seconds ago


Celebrities, advocates rally to support LGBTQ Texans

/ 5 hours ago


UTEP legend Willie Cager dies at 81

/ 5 hours ago


Pedestrian, bicyclist traffic deaths spike in Texas

/ 6 hours ago


Elgin PD is leaving its century-old building

/ 7 hours ago


AISD Pride Week is here

/ 9 hours ago


How does ‘tip creeping’ affect Texans?

/ 6 hours ago


McCarthy calls for calm over potential Trump arrest

/ 8 hours ago


Burnet PD to raise awareness of child abuse prevention

/ 10 hours ago


One more chilly afternoon before a nice warming

/ 3 hours ago


SE Austin fire turns into homicide investigation

/ 42 mins ago


Czech dazzles in south Florida finale, Horns go 4-1

/ 18 hours ago


View All Top Stories


BestReviews


10 cute and affordable cropped cardigans

/ 2 hours ago


Best Cocomelon doll

/ 2 hours ago


Hair curlers 101 with the BestReviews beauty expert

/ 3 hours ago


7 best indoor/outdoor thermometers

/ 3 hours ago


How to cast on knitting

/ 3 hours ago


Is there a difference between golf rangefinders and …

/ 3 hours ago


More reviews


Sports Illustrated


Report: Roger Goodell to Receive Multiyear Contract …

/ 27 mins ago


Don’t Bet Against Rick Pitino Bringing St. John’s …

/ 1 hour ago


Raiders to Sign Tight End OJ Howard, per Report

/ 1 hour ago


Mike Anderson to Sue St. John’s for Wrongful Termination, …

/ 2 hours ago


Jay Bilas Doubles Down on Team He Picked to Win NCAA …

/ 2 hours ago


Baker Mayfield Was Asked If He Was Humbled By Last …

/ 2 hours ago


Mario Chalmers Says Nobody Is Afraid of LeBron James

/ 3 hours ago


Why Shaquille O’Neal Was in the Hospital This Weekend

/ 3 hours ago


View All Sports Illustrated


More from KXAN Austin


Lawmakers consider denying bail for violent offenses


Police feared Uvalde gunman’s AR-15


AISD: How open should superintendent search be?


Report shows April 16 is best week to list your home


Celebrities, advocates rally to support LGBTQ Texans


UTEP legend Willie Cager dies at 81


Pedestrian, bicyclist traffic deaths spike in Texas


Elgin PD is leaving its century-old building


More from KXAN Austin




`;

// –>

Tracking the Coronavirus


What is the current COVID risk in your county?

/ 4 days ago

Austin Weather

Current

56°

Cloudy

Tonight

55°

Cloudy

Precip: 10&percnt;

Tomorrow

73°

Scattered AM Showers

Precip: 20&percnt;

Trending Stories


1 dead, 1 hurt in Texas school shooting; suspect …


How does ‘tip creeping’ affect Texans?


SE Austin fire turns into homicide investigation


3 record-breaking days for AUS occur during SXSW


One more chilly afternoon before a nice warming

Don’t Miss


RESULTS: This is the best KXAN viewer pic of February


2023 SXSW festival road closures, travel info


The story of 12 students who integrated ATX schools


170K AE customers without power at ice storm peak


KXAN launches new news podcasts



Latest weather conditions from the KXAN First Warning Weather team