Booker’s 40 Points Power Texas to Elite Eight!

Booker’s 40 Points Power Texas to Elite Eight!

Madison Booker and the Texas Longhorns are heading to the Elite Eight after a dominant 76-54 victory over Kentucky. Booker, an All-American, had a huge game, stuffing the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. This win puts Texas one step closer to their goal, as they prepare to face Michigan in the regional final on Monday night in Fort Worth.

Kentucky Dismantled in Dominant Performance

The Longhorns came out firing, and Booker felt the team’s energy was key. “I think honestly I say this a lot but Rory Homan our point guard all American point guard for sure I just her energy on the ball her pressure on the ball and um I think it just kind of impacted the full team throughout and I think everybody was like on that end and we got stops and turned them into great offense,” Booker explained after the game.

Rory Homan: The Steal Queen

Rory Homan, the school’s all-time leader in steals, proved her defensive prowess once again with six steals against Kentucky. Booker highlighted Homan’s relentless defensive effort. “I I mean, honestly, I don’t know. I I’m not that good at it. But, um, I think it’s just her tissue on the ball. Um, she wants he wants to play defense. She wants to be he wants to, you know, hit passes. She wants to beat gets easily, but that’s just her intention is that that’s what she want to do,” Booker said, marveling at her teammate’s skill.

Seniors Lead the Way in Locker Room Tradition

When asked about the tradition of players placing the team’s nameplate on the bracket after a win, Booker admitted she usually tries to pass the honor along. “I just don’t want to do it ever. They always ask me to do it and I say I think somebody else should do it.” However, this time, the seniors took center stage. “I think this time our seniors did it. I seen it’s our last go around and you know they’ve been doing great this season. They’ve been doing great for this program. So they were picked to put the main play on the wheel today,” Booker shared, emphasizing the team’s collective effort.

Booker’s Career Night: 40 Points and a School Record

Following Oregon’s game the previous Sunday, Homan saw something special brewing in Booker. “I saw the look in her eyes when she came in. I saw something special coming today,” Homan had said. Booker then delivered a career-high 40 points, setting a new school record. “Uh I mean, shots just fell. Um, they went through the the net. Um, and I just kept shooting. But credit to my teammates and my coaches, they put me in great like positions to get those shots and kind of made the game a little easy for me,” Booker described her incredible scoring performance.

March Madness Mindset: Focused and Unfinished

The Longhorns are on an impressive 11-game winning streak as they advance deeper into the tournament. The team’s mindset is clearly focused on the task at hand. “Uh I mean, it’s definitely you know exciting. It’s March Madness. Um, but you know, it’s just that mindset of you know we came here to do a job and we’re not finished yet. Um, but we’re happy with the outcomes we’re getting right now but you know we got to keep roll,” Booker stated, showing the team’s determination.

Looking Ahead: Michigan’s Challenge

Next up is a matchup against Michigan. Booker acknowledged the Wolverines’ strengths, particularly their young core. “Yeah, they’re young core. Um, I would say they actually have some great chemistry to be a young core, too. Uh, they’re high energy, fastpaced. They want to, you know, get the ball in the net and score quickly.” However, Booker believes Texas has the key to victory: “I just think for us, we just we we got to play Texas defense. Um, that’s our identity. That’s how we have been winning games. Um, but we got to stick to our fundamentals.”

Chasing History: A National Title for Texas

It has been 40 years since the Texas women’s basketball team won a national title. Booker understands the significance of what this team could achieve. “Um, it would mean a lot. Um, I feel like other sports in Texas, especially women’s, uh, they have been winning some national championships in the past couple years and, you know, Texas like basketball for women would like to add, you know, like onto their resume, too.” She also spoke about what it would mean for her coach, who has yet to win a national title as a head coach. “But I think it mean a lot also to my coach. um he hasn’t won one uh as a head coach yet. So, and I know the passion he put into the game and you know for our squad and for this program and it’ll mean so much to win.”

Kicks on the Court: Booker’s Eye-Catching Shoes

Before wrapping up, Booker couldn’t resist talking about her vibrant orange KD19 sneakers. “Uh I love them. Uh KD19’s for sure. Uh Kenny Orange, but um no, I mean they’re amazing. I mean, it’s my favorite player shoes and I was able to debut them first round,” she said with a smile. When asked if they’ll make another appearance, she replied, “They feel good. I might got to put them out again though soon for sure.” The shoes, described as “spicy,” seem to bring good luck as Texas continues their tournament run.

The Longhorns are dancing their way into the Elite Eight, and all eyes will be on Booker and her team as they continue their quest for a national championship. Best of luck to Madison and the entire Texas squad!

Source: Texas Longhorns' Madison Booker reacts to CAREER-HIGH 40 PTS, Elite 8 run & more! | SportsCenter (YouTube)