Louisiana-Lafayette at Texas
AUSTIN, Texas (Interstat) — The Texas women’s basketball team delivered a commanding performance Monday night, overwhelming Louisiana-Lafayette 100-38 in a non-conference matchup at the Frank Erwin Center.
From the opening tip, the third-ranked Longhorns established a dominant tone, outscoring the Ragin’ Cajuns 28-9 in the first quarter and never looking back. The victory improved Texas to a perfect 3-0 record to start the season, while Louisiana-Lafayette fell to 0-3.
The Longhorns’ offense operated with ruthless efficiency, shooting 59 percent from the floor on 39-of-66 shooting. Defensively, Texas was suffocating, forcing 30 turnovers and converting them into a significant portion of their points. The Ragin’ Cajuns struggled immensely with Texas’s pressure, managing to shoot just 26 percent from the field and committing more than twice as many turnovers as the Longhorns, who had 13.
Kyla Oldacre, a 6-foot-6 center from Mason, Ohio, led a balanced Texas scoring attack with 19 points and seven rebounds in just 18 minutes of action. She was a force in the paint, consistently capitalizing on her size advantage.
The Longhorns’ depth was on full display as nine different players scored, with seven reaching double figures. Justice Carlton of Katy, Texas, scored 13 points and recorded four blocks. Rori Harmon, from Houston, filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Aaliyah Crump of Shakopee, Minnesota, added 11 points, while Teya Sidberry from Salt Lake City and Madison Booker of Ridgeland, Mississippi, each contributed 10 points. Booker also tallied five assists.
Breya Cunningham, a 6-foot-4 forward from Chula Vista, California, controlled the glass with a game-high 14 rebounds to go with nine points.
For Louisiana-Lafayette, Imani Daniel was the lone bright spot. The guard from Gramercy, Louisiana, scored a game-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but received little support from her teammates. The rest of the Ragin’ Cajuns combined to shoot just 6-of-38 from the field.
Texas led 49-15 at halftime and continued to extend its lead after the break, outscoring Louisiana-Lafayette 21-9 in the third quarter and 30-14 in the fourth. The Longhorns’ 62-point margin of victory underscored the vast gap between the two teams on this night.
The Longhorns shared the ball effectively, finishing with 18 assists on their 39 made baskets, compared to just five assists for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Texas also dominated the interior, outrebounding Louisiana-Lafayette 44-26 and scoring 62 points in the paint.
An announced crowd of 8,677 watched the Longhorns put on a clinic in their final tune-up before a Sunday home game against Texas Southern. Louisiana-Lafayette will look to secure its first win of the season when it travels to face Nicholls State on Friday.