TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Rori Harmon had 19 points, 11 assists and finished a rebound shy of a triple-double, and Taylor Jones added 16 points as No. 5 Texas beat Arizona 88-75 on Wednesday night.
“Offensively we’re pretty hard to deal with,” said Texas coach Vic Schaefer, whose team topped 80 points for the ninth time and is averaging 91.6 points per game. “We came out wanting to punch first, and I think we did.”
Harmon was 7 of 15 from the field and finished with nine rebounds and 11 assists for the Longhorns (11-0). Jones was 4 of 6 from the field and 8 of 9 from the line.
“She’s a stat stuffer,” Schaefer said of Harmon. “There’s not another guard in the country like her.”
Texas, which is off to its finest start since opening the 2015-16 season with 16 consecutive wins, shot 51.6% in the game and converted 21 Arizona turnovers into 25 points.
Kailyn Gilbert led Arizona (7-3) with 26 points. She hit 4 of 6 shots in the first quarter and struggled the rest of the way, going 4 for 15 and not making another field goal until midway through the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats shot 44.6% overall, making 37.5% from 2-point range and 7 of 8 from 3-point range.
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The Wildcats played with nine available scholarship players. Arizona said sophomore forward Maya Nnaji was stepping away from the program indefinitely to focus on academics. The team depth was further tested when center Breya Cunningham picked up two fouls in the first 36 seconds.
“We’re young and we’re learning, but we’ll get there,” said Arizona coach Adia Barnes, who started two freshmen and a sophomore.
Texas shot 56% in the first half and led 45-36 at the break. The Longhorns extended their lead to 59-41 with 6:04 left in the third on back-to-back 3-pointers by Shaylee Gonzales. Gonzales hit a third 3-pointer that extended the margin over 20 points midway through the period.
Arizona trailed by 25 early in the fourth quarter before going on a 15-1 run and pulling within 81-70 with 2:52 remaining. Gonzales’ fourth 3-pointer ended the comeback.
BIG PICTURE
Texas: The Longhorns, in their 50th season of competition, rank sixth in wins in women’s college basketball history. They are more than 250 victories behind all-time leader Tennessee.
Arizona: The Wildcats entered the game 13-136 against top-10 competition, and they figure to have a few more of those matchups when Pac-12 Conference play begins. There are five Pac-12 teams currently ranked in the top 10.
UP NEXT
Texas: The Longhorns visit UT-Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 20.
Arizona: The Wildcats open Pac-12 play Sunday at Arizona State.
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