AUSTIN, Texas – Madison Booker had 20 points and five assists and led a third-quarter surge as No. 3 Texas beat BYU 71-46 on Saturday night.
Texas (27-4, 14-4 Big 12) finished the regular season in second place in the conference, one game behind Oklahoma, which swept two games from the Longhorns.
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BYU (16-15, 6-12) scored the first basket of the second half to cut its deficit to five points, but Texas then went on a 15-0 run to seize control of the game. Booker, a freshman guard, gave Texas a 13-point lead when she stole an inbounds pass, made a mid-range jump shot and converted a foul shot, completing a three-point play.
BYU had a 14-11 edge in offensive rebounds, but was outscored 21-7 in second-chance points. Texas scored 11 in the pivotal third quarter.
“Seven offensive rebounds in the third quarter was probably the knife that did it for us,” BYU coach Amber Whiting said. “We did a really good job in our zone, but we didn’t rebound out of it.”
Aaliyah Moore had 16 points and eight rebounds for Texas, and Taylor Jones (three blocks) and DeYona Gaston each scored 13.
Starting guards Shay Holle and Shaylee Gonzales shot just 1 for 9 and 1 for 8, respectively, from the field. But Gonzales had five assists and three steals and spearheaded the Texas perimeter defense.
“Shay and Shaylee, they just help us win,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “Both defended extremely well.”
Lauren Gustin had 20 points and 15 rebounds for BYU. Kailey Woolston scored 13. The Cougars shot just 34.7% from the field and committed 22 turnovers.
Booker scored 17 in the first half, and Texas had a 10-point lead in the final minute. But after BYU's Kaylee Smiler missed two free throws, Gustin beat Gaston to the rebound of the second miss and the Cougars turned it into a 3-point basket by Woolston with four seconds left.
“If it weren't for Booker in the first half, we wouldn't have scored,” Schaefer said.
BIG PICTURE
BYU: The Cougars' losing record in Big 12 competition comes as no surprise. They were picked to finish 11th among 14 teams in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches. ... Gustin leads the nation in rebounding with 15.4 per game before Saturday, a margin of 2.4 over LSU's Angel Reese.
Texas: Senior forward Khadija Faye, primarily a backup, returned to the Longhorns this week after missing seven games with a personal health issue, according Schaefer. The 6-foot-4 Faye started seven games this season. She could provide help for a front court that is deep, but inconsistent. Faye scored two points in nine minutes against BYU. Faye said she is not yet in top condition.
“It's gonna show a little bit," Faye said. “I'm working my way back.”
UP NEXT
BYU: Heads to the Big 12 tournament, which starts Thursday in Kansas City. The Cougars have a bye in the first round.
Texas: As a top-four seed, the Longhorns will not play until the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball