AUSTIN, Texas — In a decisive victory on Wednesday night, the fourth-ranked Texas Longhorns overwhelmed Lamar University with a score of 95-58. Freshman Justice Carlton and senior Shay Holle both contributed significantly to the win, each scoring 15 points, while Holle showcased her shooting skills by sinking 3 out of 4 attempts from beyond the arc.
Texas played without Madison Booker, a preseason All-American, who was sidelined due to a sore hamstring, making her return uncertain. Freshman Jordan Lee stepped up in her absence, managing to score 12 points. Another freshman, Bryanna Preston, supported the team with nine points, four assists, and two steals.
Point guard Rori Harmon, returning from a serious knee injury that kept her out of the last season’s final games, had an impactful performance with eight points, eight assists, and five steals in just 18 minutes of play. However, she faced a scare in the third quarter after twisting her ankle, but fortunately, she was able to return to the court.
On the other hand, Akasha Davis led Lamar, scoring 14 points, while Sabria Dean added 13 to the team’s total.
Lamar, the reigning Southland Conference regular-season champions, found themselves significantly behind, trailing 51-14 at halftime. They managed to match Texas’s scoring output in the second half, each team tallying 44 points.
For Texas, Laila Phelia, who was an all-Big Ten performer at Michigan last season, made her Longhorns debut and scored eight points in 21 minutes as a substitute. Last season, she averaged nearly 17 points per game.
A pivotal moment came when Texas surged to outscore Lamar 20-3 during the last portion of the first quarter. The Cardinals struggled, scoring only three points from the free-throw line during that span. The Longhorns’ full-court pressure resulted in ten turnovers in that quarter, with Harmon accounting for four steals.
One striking statistic highlighted Lamar’s struggles, as they committed 22 turnovers in the first half, a situation that allowed Texas to establish a commanding lead by halftime. The Longhorns capitalized on these mistakes, recording 14 steals during that period.
Looking ahead, Lamar is scheduled to take on SMU on November 22, while Texas will face DePaul this upcoming Sunday.