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Texas to battle 2-seed Michigan for a spot in the Final Four

by: Josh Florey03/30/26

The Texas Longhorns continued their run of dominance in the NCAA Tournament with a 76-54 victory over Kentucky. Now, Vic Schaefer’s team will battle Michigan at 6 p.m. on ESPN for a spot in the Final Four.

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The Horns started off hot against UK, using transition offense to go on a 15-0 run, setting the tone for the game. Texas dominated the first quarter as a whole, leading 29-11 after the first 10 minutes.

Texas kept the momentum and lead, fighting off a late 8-0 run from Kentucky to keep about a 20-point lead.

Madison Booker had 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Rori Harmon also had a great game, with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals. Jordan Lee led Texas in scoring with 18 points.

The Longhorns forced 24 turnovers, while turning it over 16 times themselves. They also out-rebounded the Wildcats 38-29 and gathered 12 offensive boards.

Texas shot 54% from the floor, as the majority of their shots came from inside or were transition layups.

Outside shooting was overall a struggle for the Horns, making 3-of-9 from deep, but Texas was so dominant in transition and in the paint that they didn’t need much from range. Texas had 20 fast break points to Kentucky’s 0, and 44 points in the paint to Kentucky’s 22.

Sarah Graves also got to see the court, and made two free throws after a late Flagrant 1 foul on the ‘Cats.

Now, the Horns will face the 2-seed Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan is 6th in NET and has had a very good season, placing second in the Big Ten during the regular season, and now making the Elite 8.

The Maize and Blue have lost to some of the top teams, such as UConn, UCLA, Vanderbilt, and Iowa. They boast wins over teams like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Maryland, and most recently, Louisville.

The Wolverines have some elite guards, led by Olivia Olsen, who averages 19.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg. Syla Swords and Mila Holloway also average double-digit points.

Michigan lacks size overall, with their tallest players listed at 6-foot-3, so players like Kyla Oldacre and Breya Cunningham should be poised to have good offensive games.

The further Texas gets into March, the more important it becomes for them to hit the deep ball, so players like Lee and freshman Aaliyah Crump have to continue to step up.

Something to watch is Rori Harmon’s health, as she landed hard on her hand in the first half. She came back in and played 29 minutes in the game, but Vic Schaefer obviously wanted to rest her for the Elite 8 game.

Texas and Michigan will face off at 6 p.m. on Monday in Fort Worth for a spot in the Final Four.

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