Texas Longhorns Demolish Gonzaga Bulldogs in Sweet 16

Top-seeded Texas Longhorns cruise past Gonzaga into the Elite Eight powered by their strong defense.

Mar 29, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Aaliyah Moore (23) grabs a rebound during / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Aaliyah Moore's stellar performance, boasting 16 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, alongside Shaylee Gonzales' contribution of 15 points, drove top-seeded Texas to a dominant 69-47 win over fourth-seeded Gonzaga in the Portland 4 Regional semifinal on Friday night.

Despite being underestimated among the NCAA Tournament's No. 1 seeds, the Longhorns showcased their championship potential, stifling Gonzaga's offense and dominating defensively.

Leveraging their size advantage to overpower Gonzaga, Texas dictated the game, restricting their opponents to merely three successful field goals and inducing nine turnovers in a commanding first half. Shay Holle's pivotal corner 3-pointer moments before halftime stretched the lead to 37-18, laying the foundation for Texas's inaugural Elite Eight berth since the 2021-22 season.

Once more, Texas is set to face third-seeded North Carolina State in the regional final on Sunday, after their triumph over second-seeded Stanford.

With a hunger for their first Final Four appearance since 2003, Texas asserted dominance despite Madison Booker, the Big 12 player of the year, encountering foul trouble. Shay Holle's 12 points added strength to Texas's performance.

Despite Yvonne Ejim's 14 points leading Gonzaga, they grappled against Texas's defense, managing only a 26.5% shooting accuracy. Gonzaga, who typically shoots from beyond the arc, managed just 4 of 22 attempts from three-point range.

Although Gonzaga mounted a brief comeback, Texas maintained control, securing the win and advancing to the next round.