Longhorns beat Michigan in women's regional final

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Texas coach Vic Schaefer was down on his knee already sharing a long and tight embrace with 5-foot-6 sparkplug guard Rori Harmon even as the final seconds were winding down in a rout that ensured them one more weekend together on the court. After five years constantly around each other and another school record-tying 35-win season, the coach and player who don't want it to end yet are going to the women's Final Four for the second year in a row. Third-year starter Madison Booker had 19 points and seven rebounds and Harmon had 13 assists as Texas routed Michigan 77-41 in the Fort Worth Regional 3 championship game on Monday night. "It was because of my teammates. The people behind me doing all that crazy stuff," Harmon said. "I can't do anything without them. I'm not me without them. I'm really proud. I'm super happy to be back in the Final Four." The Longhorns missed only one shot in the first quarter, quickly building a double-digit lead and maintaining control even through extended periods of poor shooting by both teams after that in the only regional final matching the top two seeds. Justice Carlton added 15 points while Kyla Oldacre added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Texas (35-3), which built as much as a 40-point lead. "Well this group is awfully special. They're tough. We call it Texas tough in Austin. But I told them they're good enough," said Schaefer, the sixth-year Longhorns coach who also took Mississippi State to back-to-back Final Fours in 2017 and 2018, and was a top assistant for Texas A&M's national title in 2012. "I've been on this trip before but I want them to really be focused. Enjoy today. Don't take this for granted." Top-seeded Texas is going to its fifth Final Four overall, and the only other time the Longhorns had made back-to-back appearances was their undefeated 34-0 national championship season in 1986 and semifinal loss the following season. Before last year's loss to South Carolina, they hadn't made it to the final weekend of March Madness since 2003. Next for Texas is on Friday in Phoenix against UCLA (35-1), another top seed. It's a rematch against the only team to beat the Big Ten champion this season. The Bruins have won 29 in a row since a 76-65 loss to the Horns in the Players Era Championship on Nov. 26. Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway each had 11 points for Michigan (28-7), which tied the single-season school record for wins, was in the Elite Eight for only the second time and hasn't made it past that. The Wolverines finished 22.8% (13 of 57) from the field, included several missed layups. "Texas is great team," Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "But we're a better team than we looked tonight." Fast start to a big lead Booker, an AP All-American forward, had bookend baskets in an early 10-0 Texas run that made it 12-2. In the middle of that, she made a nifty pass to Harmon, who made an equally impressive quick flip pass to 6-foot-4 Breya Cunningham inside for an easy basket. Cunningham had 11 points. The Longhorns, who finished shooting 46.9% (30 of 64), made 11 of 12 shots in the first quarter for a 22-9 lead. There were some shooting lulls too Texas then missed 12 of its first 14 shots in the second quarter, including its top 3-point shooter Jordan Lee missing five from beyond the arc before Booker had consecutive baskets for a 34-21 halftime lead. The Longhorns missed their first seven shots out of the break and their lead shrank to 11, but Harmon's 3-pointer snapped the skid, and they were off and running to Phoenix. "I felt pretty good actually, but then we couldn't get stops and then we couldn't score," Arico Barnes said. "I don't think we're whatever the deficit was, inferior opponent to them, but they're a really great team." Flirting with a record rout Texas built a 69-29 lead with just under 6 minutes left, right before Harmon left the game and went to the bench to join Booker, who didn't play at all in the fourth quarter. The largest margin of victory in an Elite Eight game was UConn's 90-50 win over Florida State in 2010. Up Next Texas and UCLA will play in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time, having split their first four postseason meetings. The Longhorns won a second-round game in 2021 and a Sweet 16 matchup in 2016. The Bruins won a Sweet 16 matchup in 2018, and a second-round game in 1992. ___ AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness