Texas vs William & Mary: Longhorns move on after slow start in NCAA Tournament opener
With 3:35 left in an NCAA Tournament game at Moody Center on Saturday night, Texas forward Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda made a jumper.
That basket gave Texas a 101-56 lead over William & Mary, and it served as a historical footnote. For just the second time in school history, UT had scored 100 points in an NCAA Tournament game. Texas, by the way, has now played 87 games over its 37 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Yet, Vic Schaefer still had plenty to nitpick following a 105-61 win that advanced Texas (32-3) into a second-round showdown against Illinois (22-9). There were too many defensive lapses for the Texas coach's liking. An upstart and upset-seeking William & Mary team kept things close for longer than most expected.
During his postgame press conference, Schaefer declared that "we'll need to be better." And what was his message to the team?
"He kept it pretty short, honestly," senior guard Shay Holle said. "At the end of the day, he was like, we win by 40 and no one in the room is happy, which kind of means a lot of things. We have a high standard for ourselves, which is a good thing. We're lucky to learn a lot through victory, and I think that's happened a lot this year."
Coming off a 13-day layoff, Texas showed some signs of rust on Saturday. The Longhorns never trailed in its tournament opener, but it was a 10-10 game at the 5:46 mark in the first quarter and a 20-18 game with 41 seconds left in the opening frame.
But toward the end of the first quarter, Texas subbed in reserves Bryanna Preston and Jordana Codio. Preston has an established role as UT's backup point guard, but Codio had played a total of 16 minutes over the Longhorns' previous 17 games.
But over the next four minutes, Texas outscored William & Mary by a 16-5 margin. When William & Mary called a timeout with 6:59 remaining in the second quarter, Texas had built a 34-20 lead. During that stretch, Preston distributed four assists. Codio had four points and a block.
"Everyone has a role as a team," Codio said. "I feel at this level, you just have to stay ready because you never know what's gonna happen every night. Every night's a new night."
Texas took a 50-33 lead into halftime. William & Mary never got any closer than 16 points in the second half.
Texas sophomore forward Madison Booker played just 27 minutes in the 44-point rout, but she still recorded her eighth double-double performance of the season. In addition to Booker's 20 points and 14 rebounds, Texas got 19 points from Taylor Jones and 15 points from Kyla Oldacre.
William & Mary (16-19) was led by Bella Nascimento's 19 points. The Tribe was making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas beats William & Mary in NCAA Tournament's first round
-
Texas basketball coach Vic Schaefer on Illinois tip time: 'Make it make sense'
Following a win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Texas coach Vic Schaefer learned about the logistics for UT's next game against Illinois.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Booker scores 20 and No. 1 Texas opens March Madness with 105-61 win over No. 16 William & Mary
Madison Booker had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Taylor Jones scored 19 points as No. 1 seed Texas opened the women's NCAA Tournament with a 105-61 victory over No. 16 William & Mary on Saturday ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
NCAA Tournament schedule: Who does Texas women's basketball play next in March Madness?
If Texas women's basketball takes care of business against William & Mary the Longhorns have to prepare for Creighton/Illinois.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
March Madness 2025: Texas' bench contributions cannot be overstated in NCAA Tournament win
Sure, the stars led the way for Texas women's basketball against William & Mary in the NCAA Tournament. But other Longhorns stepped up.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Texas basketball vs Texas A&M: What Longhorns' OT win at SEC tournament means
The Longhorns showed grit in their second-round win over Texas A&M at the SEC Tournament. Will it be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament?Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
Texas vs Illinois prediction, picks for 2025 women's NCAA Tournament
The Women's March Madness second round includes No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Illinois. See expert game picks, predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket.Yahoo Sports - 20h -
NCAA Tournament today: 3 things to know about William & Mary, Texas' 1st-round opponent
The bracket is set and here are three things to know about William & Mary, Texas women's basketball's first team in the NCAA tournament.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Vic Schaefer joins special company
After leading the Longhorns to a nearly undefeated season, Vic Schaefer is getting national recognitionYahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
March Madness schedule: Texas, William & Mary brace for late start to NCAA Tournament game
This will be the latest start to a game this season for Texas. During the regular season, UT had three games that began at 8 p.m.Yahoo Sports - 2d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Maryland vs Florida Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness Sweet 16
Maryland Terrapins vs. Florida Gators Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 43m -
Reece James scores pinpoint free kick in World Cup qualifying on long-awaited England return
Chelsea star Reece James' magnificent free kick goal is his first for England and gave the Three Lions a 1-0 lead over Latvia in UEFA World Cup qualifying on Monday at Wembley.Yahoo Sports - 45m -
TE Travis Vokolek signs his tender to return to Cardinals
Tight end Travis Vokolek re-signed with the Cardinals on Monday, the team announced.Yahoo Sports - 45m -
Pair of Oklahoma Sooners forwards enter the transfer portal
Oklahoma Sooners forwards entered the transfer portal on the first day of the spring portal period.Yahoo Sports - 46m -
Warriors reportedly considered offering Butler below max contract extension before deciding to go all-in
Adding Butler was seen as the last big swing to win another title in the Stephen Curry era.Yahoo Sports - 48m
More in Sports
-
2025 Women's March Madness schedule, scores: Games, dates, locations, tip times, TV channels, bracket
South Carolina and UCLA fights off upset-minded opponents as Notre Dame wins bigCBS Sports - 40m -
Maryland vs Florida Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness Sweet 16
Maryland Terrapins vs. Florida Gators Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 43m -
Reece James scores pinpoint free kick in World Cup qualifying on long-awaited England return
Chelsea star Reece James' magnificent free kick goal is his first for England and gave the Three Lions a 1-0 lead over Latvia in UEFA World Cup qualifying on Monday at Wembley.Yahoo Sports - 45m -
TE Travis Vokolek signs his tender to return to Cardinals
Tight end Travis Vokolek re-signed with the Cardinals on Monday, the team announced.Yahoo Sports - 45m -
Pair of Oklahoma Sooners forwards enter the transfer portal
Oklahoma Sooners forwards entered the transfer portal on the first day of the spring portal period.Yahoo Sports - 46m