FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Madison Booker had 19 points and seven rebounds, fifth-year senior guard Rori Harmon has 13 assists and Texas is going to the women’s Final Four for the second year in a row after a 77-41 rout over Michigan in the Fort Worth Regional 3 championship game Monday night.
The Longhorns missed only one shot in the first quarter, quickly building a double-digit lead and maintaining control even through extended periods of poor shooting
by both teams after that in the only regional final matching the top two seeds.
Justice Carlton added 15 points while Kyla Oldacre added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Texas (35-3), which built as much as a 40-point lead.
Top-seeded Texas is going to its fifth Final Four overall, and the only other time the Longhorns had made back-to-back appearances was their undefeated 34-0 national championship in 1986 and semifinal loss the following season. Before last year’s loss to South Carolina, they hadn’t made it to the final weekend of March Madness since 2003.
Next for Texas is Friday in Phoenix against UCLA (35-1), another top seed and a rematch against the only team to beat the Big Ten champion this season. The Bruins have won 29 in a row since a 76-65 loss to the Horns in the Players Era Championship on Nov. 26.
Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway each had 11 points for Michigan (28-7), which tied the single-season school record for wins, was in the Elite Eight for only the second time and hasn’t made it past that. The Wolverines finished 22.8% (13 of 57) from the field, included several missed layups.
Booker, an AP All-American forward, had bookend baskets in an early 10-0 Texas run that made it 12-2. In the middle of that, she made a nifty pass to Harmon, who made an equally impressive quick flip pass to 6-foot-4 Breya Cunningham inside for an easy basket. Cunningham had 11 points.
The Longhorns, who finished shooting 46.9% (30 of 64), made 11 of 12 shots in the first quarter for a 22-9 lead. They then missed 12 of their first 14 shots in the second quarter, including their top 3-pointer shooter Jordan Lee missing five from beyond the arc before Booker had consecutive baskets late for a 34-21 halftime lead.
Even when missing their first seven shots out of the break, they were up 37-23 when Harmon's 3-pointer snapped the skid, and were off and running to Phoenix.
Texas built as much as a 69-29 lead with just under 6 minutes left, right before Harmon left the game and went to the bench to join Booker, who didn't play at all in the fourth quarter.
The largest margin of victory in an Elite Eight game was UConn's 90-50 win over Florida State in 2010.
Texas and UCLA will play in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time, having split their first four postseason meetings. The Longhorns won a second-round game in 2021 and a Sweet 16 matchup in 2016. The Bruins won a Sweet 16 matchup in 2018, and a second-round game in 1992.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
