Madison Booker, stifling defense lead Texas women's basketball team past Central Florida

Freshman Madison Booker recorded her 18th straight double-figure scoring performance as fifth-ranked Texas stormed to its eighth victory in a row Saturday, beating Central Florida 87-56 in Orlando, Fla.

Booker scored 22 points — her ninth game with at least 20 points this season — and contributed five assists. Shaylee Gonzales had 13 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals, and she drew three offensive fouls by the Knights.

The Longhorns' 23-4 margin in the second quarter propelled them into a lead they would not relinquish. It was the fifth straight road win for Texas (26-3, 13-3), which continues to chase No. 23 Oklahoma (20-7, 14-2) in the Big 12 championship race.

“That's how you play," Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. "If you're the fifth-ranked team in the country and you're supposed to be, that's how the fifth-ranked team in the country plays. I couldn't be more proud of them.”

Taylor Jones had 15 points and seven rebounds, Shay Holle scored 14 points, and DeYona Gaston added 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field.

The Longhorns scored 28 points off 21 turnovers, including 10 turnovers for 15 points in the pivotal second quarter. They had seven steals and drew seven offensive fouls, including four in the second quarter.

Texas' defense held Central Florida (12-14, 3-13) to 35.3% shooting for the game. The Knights closed the gap a bit with a 25-22 edge in the third quarter, but the Longhorns stretched it back out with a 26-13 margin in the fourth.

“It's tough. We played a lot of one-on-one basketball in the second quarter," UCF coach Sytia Messer said. "We've got to get better at that. When we execute and do what we ask, we're a better team.”

Kaitlin Peterson, Central Florida's leading scorer at 20.3 points per game, struggled to get going and finished with 14 points on 4-for-20 shooting. Timia Ware led the Knights with 16 points off the bench and was their only other double-figure scorer.

“What worked for us today was our team identity, which is team defense," Booker said. "Especially the second quarter, it was all team defense. We got out in the open court and ran. That translates to buckets. This whole game as a team was us being united.”

Texas will play its final road game of the regular season against the first-place Sooners on Wednesday. The Longhorns have a five-game winning streak on the road.

Additional material from The Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Madison Booker, stifling defense lead Texas past Central Florida