Longhorns Country

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Alabama March Madness: Preview, How to Watch

Texas Longhorns women's basketball hosts the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
Zach Dimmitt|
Texas Longhorns guard Gisella Maul (21) dribbles toward the basket as Texas takes on the Drexel
Texas Longhorns guard Gisella Maul (21) dribbles toward the basket as Texas takes on the Drexel | Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA

AUSTIN -- Top-seeded Texas Longhorns women's basketball will look to make it to their third Sweet 16 under coach Vic Schaefer when they host the No. 8-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide at the Moody Center on Sunday.

Texas dismantled No. 16 seed Drexel 82-42 in the first round on Friday. The Longhorns boasted five players in double figures led by guard Shaylee Gonzales, who paced all scorers by tying a season-best 21 points on 5 of 6 shooting from deep. Texas' leading scorer Madison Booker had just eight points, but dished out a career-best 14 assists despite averaging 5.2 on the season. She had led the 'Horns in scoring in the previous six games before Friday.

No. 8 Alabama topped Florida State 82-74 in the first round, as Essence Cody tallied 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. She'll have to be a focal point of Texas' defense if the Longhorns want to avoid the upset.

Texas Longhorns guard Shaylee Gonzales (2) handles the ball as she looks to pass to a teammate as
Texas Longhorns guard Shaylee Gonzales (2) handles the ball as she looks to pass to a teammate as | Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA

The Longhorns enter Sunday having won 13 of their last 14, with the one loss coming in a controversial 71-70 ending against the Oklahoma Sooners on Feb. 28.

There hasn't been many upsets so far in the Women's NCAA Tournament. Texas will look to be on the right side of that trend when the Longhorns and Tide tip-off tonight at 5 p.m. CT.

WHAT: No. 1 Texas Longhorns (31-4,14-4 Big 12) vs. No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (24-9, 10-6 SEC)

WHERE: Moody Center -- Austin, TX

WHEN: Sunday, March 24, 2024, 5 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN

HOW TO LISTEN: Longhorn Radio Network

Published
Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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