In Sweet 16 shellacking, top-seeded Texas successfully defends both Gonzaga, Vic Schaefer

PORTLAND, Ore. — Over the course of a 40-minute game on Friday night, Texas women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer never removed his suit jacket.

Throughout the season, Schaefer has never shied away from dramatically ripping off his jacket in a show of frustration for either his team's play or a call he disagreed with. But during the Longhorns' 69-47 win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center, the jacket remained on.

"I don't know, it wasn't very hot in there tonight," Schaefer said.

The truth is that Schaefer didn't have much to be frustrated with. He didn't even have many squares on his postgame stat sheet, which is notable since he usually spends time at press conferences circling statistics he likes and drawing squares around the numbers he doesn't.

With the victory over Gonzaga, No. 1 Texas (33-4) advanced to the Elite Eight and a matchup with No. 3 North Carolina State (30-6). Another win will get UT to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.

"We beat a really good basketball team tonight," Schaefer said. "This group right here, they had a little edge to them, I tell you. I don't think you want to play this team when they've got an edge. It's not like they need anything to motivate them, but they are highly motivated right now."

After not trailing once during the first and second rounds, Texas fell behind Gonzaga for less than four minutes on Friday. The Longhorns never relinquished their lead after a Shaylee Gonzales jumper gave them an 8-7 edge with 4:50 to go in the first quarter. Texas led 18-9 after the first quarter and 37-18 at halftime. Gonzaga never got closer than 12 points after the break.

Texas goes deep to dispatch Gonzaga

The Longhorns took control despite having freshman point guard Madison Booker play less than eight minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. And starting center Taylor Jones also missed the entire game because she was in concussion protocol.

With Booker limited and Jones sidelined, Texas got 27 first-half points from the trio of Shaylee Gonzales, Shay Holle and Aaliyah Moore. Texas also got quality minutes off the bench from reserves Khadija Faye, Amina Muhammad, Gisella Maul and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda.

"I think they were ready when their name was called tonight, which we need from them every night," Moore said. "It goes to show how people might say we don't have a deep bench, but we really do."

Added Holle: "We talk all the time about how it takes all of us to get where we are right now. We have all the confidence right now in each and every player on our team because we see the work they put in day in, day out. They've been doing the prep. That's why they're ready in moments like this."

A rare off night for Madison Boooker

With Jones sidelined, Faye was eventually asked to play 14 minutes. She knocked down two of her three shots, grabbed three rebounds, had two steals and blocked a shot. Faye started for much of last season, but the senior forward's playing time has fluctuated this year. She missed seven games in February for personal reasons, and her conditioning was admittedly off when she returned to the team in late February. But she was effective on Friday night.

"I always thought to myself, if you work hard, everything will come your way and that's what I always do, like have my head down and work," Faye said. "I was expecting nothing, I wasn't expecting (to) play or not play. It didn't matter. What matters is to win."

While recording her second straight double-double performance, Moore finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Gonzales added 15 points and Holle had 12. Texas earned its 22-point victory despite a rare off night from Booker, a second-team All-American who finished with six points, two assists and seven turnovers.

Texas gets defensive all the way to the Elite Eight

For part of the UT's postgame press conference, Gonzales, Holle and Moore took turns praising each other and their teammates. But before leaving the podium, Moore announced that she had "one thing before we end it."

"I just want to give a shout-out to this man right here," the junior forward emphatically stated while patting Schaefer's shoulder. "We couldn't have done it without him. I would like to say he is the secretary of defense, and he always will be, no one else will take that position. I think we've proven it every night holding teams to under their average."

Moore appeared to be responding to a comment made by Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier on Thursday. As she opened her media availability, a reporter mentioned that Schaefer had been nicknamed the "secretary of defense." A puzzled Fortier laughed and asked, "Who named him that?"

One day later, the Longhorns had an answer.

The No. 4 seed in the Portland 4 region, Gonzaga (32-4) entered the weekend with a Division I-leading 40.1 3-point percentage, but the Zags made just four of their 22 deep shots. Gonzaga committed 16 turnovers and was limited to a season-low point total. Gonzaga had scored at least 66 points in each of its previous 35 games.

In three NCAA Tournament games, Texas has now allowed 143 points, an average of 47.7 points. For the season, UT is surrendering an average of 57.2 points per game.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns' defense, bench shine in Sweet 16 rout of Gonzaga