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Texas ‘generational talent’ Booker scores 40 in March Madness rout of Oregon

By The Associated Press

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

Cheryl Reeve steps away from the WNBA grind for a Hall of Fame induction

By The Associated Press
Cheryl Reeve is taking a break from her busy WNBA season to head to Knoxville this weekend and be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She's only the second WNBA coach to enter the Hall of Fame, joining former Houston Comets coach Van Chancellor, who was inducted in 2001. “(I appreciate) the magnitude of this recognition of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the great work that has gone into this institution,” Reeve said. “To walk around and see the history of how much has been done years before I could ever have this opportunity to coach. Grateful to the WNBA because I think there was some consideration given schedule wise.” Reeve will be joined by WNBA greats Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne in this year's class. Parker and Delle Donne also will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year. Other inductees include ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke, Kirkwood Community College coach Kim Muhl, Spanish star Amaya Valdemoro, French great Isabelle Fijalkowski and Clemson's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Barbara Kennedy-Dixon.
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