AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Oregon was simply helpless against Madison Booker.
Texas’ three-time All-American forward did anything she wanted as she scored a career-high 40 points in a rollicking 100-58 win over Oregon on Sunday that earned the No. 1-seeded Longhorns a trip to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.
Drive for layups? Easy. Her go-to mid-range jumper? Breezy. Step out for 3-pointers? Swish.
Booker set a Texas school record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.
It’s still 10 points shy of the overall tournament record of 50 set by Drake’s Lorri Bauman in 1982. But give her time. She’s got at least one more game coming up in Fort Worth, and if the Longhorns are going to play for their first national championship in 40 years, she could get four more.
Booker carried the Longhorns to the Elite Eight as a freshman and to Final Four last season.
“She’s a generational talent,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said.
And an unselfish one. Schaefer often has to tell his star player to go get her shot instead of making the extra pass to a teammate.
“I want her to hunt to go get a bucket,” Schaefer said.
That side of her is emerging now that it’s time to start collecting trophies.
Booker came in to the tournament averaging 18.9 points. She set her previous career high of 31 just a couple of weeks ago against Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference tournament, which Texas won.
The previous Texas tournament scoring record of 32 was set by Clarissa Davis in 1986 and Heather Schreiber in 2003. The 1986 team won the national title. The 2003 team made the Final Four.
“Coach Schaefer has pushed me into taking a big role, being aggressive on the offensive end,” Booker said.
She was dominant from the start against Oregon, scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Bookers’ final stat line included 14-of-21 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers.
“I’ve never seen that. I’d like to see it again,” Texas senior guard Rori Harmon said. “I saw the look in her eyes when she came in. I saw something special coming today.”
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness