Madison Booker Scores 30 and Passes 2,000 Career Points as No. 6 Texas Routs Northern Colorado 91-29

AUSTIN, Texas. Madison Booker needed a little more than four minutes to make history. With 5:37 left in the first quarter, Booker scored the last of six straight points at the free throw line to reach 2,000 career points, and by the end of the night the two-time AP All-American had 30 points and a new place in the Texas record book. The No. 6 Longhorns rolled past Northern Colorado 91-29 on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Moody Center.

Booker shot 10 of 14 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and 8 of 11 at the line, with six assists and two steals in 28 minutes. Booker now has 2,023 career points, which moved her past Clarissa Davis (2,008, from 1985 to 1989) into third place on the program's career scoring list. According to Texas, Booker is the fourth Longhorn ever to reach 2,000 points.

The Longhorns moved to 2-0 and Northern Colorado fell to 1-1. Texas forced 32 turnovers, held the Bears to nine first-half points and, according to Texas, held an opponent under 30 points for just the ninth time in program history. Here is the ESPN box score (opens in a new tab) and Texas' recap (opens in a new tab).

A milestone in the first quarter

Texas set the tone on defense right away. Zya Vann, Jayda Clark and Breya Cunningham all recorded steals in the opening quarter, and Booker's six-point burst, capped by the milestone free throw, gave the Longhorns control. A 10-0 run followed, with Clark scoring eight of those points, including two 3-pointers in the quarter.

Texas led 23-6 after 10 minutes, and that was as competitive as the night got.

Clark's role in the run was its own story. According to AP, Clark joined the program on Aug. 24, as coach Vic Schaefer worked to replace guards Jordan Lee and Aaliyah Crump after their transfers to South Carolina and Duke. Clark had spent two years in Australia's WNBL as an unpaid developmental player, according to Texas. Clark finished with eight points in 14 minutes as a starter.

Nine points in a half

The second quarter was close to perfect defensively. Northern Colorado did not score in the period until 4:36 remained before halftime, and Texas put up 10 points during that drought. The Longhorns forced seven turnovers in the quarter and turned them into nine points, and the Bears managed only three points in the period.

Texas led 49-9 at halftime. According to Texas, the Longhorns' bench had 18 points at the break, twice as many as Northern Colorado had as a team.

The numbers behind the defense were striking. Texas finished with 12 steals and seven blocks, and according to Texas, the Longhorns also forced five 5-second violations. Bryanna Preston took three charges. Vann did not score but had two steals and two blocks, and Cunningham matched that with two of each.

Booker takes over the third

If the first half belonged to the defense, the third quarter belonged to Booker. Booker scored 15 of Texas' 23 points in the period, fueling a 13-1 run over a span of 3:20, and the Longhorns took a 72-18 lead into the fourth.

Booker left early in the fourth quarter, according to AP, having done more than enough. The 30-point night was the third of Booker's career and the 45th game with at least 20 points, according to Texas. Across the two games this week, Booker scored 54 points, following the 24 in the season-opening win over FDU. The one quibble was four turnovers, half of Texas' total of eight for the night.

Two freshmen gave Texas a glimpse of its future. Addison Bjorn scored 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting with a block in 18 minutes, and Brihanna Crittendon added 11 points and two steals in 18 minutes. Bjorn led Texas with five points in the fourth quarter.

Cunningham was the fourth Longhorn in double figures. Cunningham made 4 of 5 shots for 10 points with six rebounds, four of them offensive, two steals and two blocks in 22 minutes. Cunningham now has 946 career points, according to Texas.

Lizzy Spaight added eight points and four assists off the bench, going 4 of 5 at the line. Isi Etute, Lovisa Asbrink Hose and Grace Prenter each scored two, and 13 Longhorns played. Texas' bench finished with 38 points.

As a team, Texas shot 33 of 59 from the field, 55.9 percent, and 5 of 16 from 3-point range, and went 20 of 27 at the line. According to AP, the Longhorns scored 46 points in the paint. Texas had 18 assists against just eight turnovers, and the 11 offensive rebounds produced 13 second-chance points.

Northern Colorado overwhelmed

The Bears, picked to finish third in the Big Sky by the league's coaches according to AP, had no answer for the pressure. Northern Colorado committed 32 turnovers, and Texas scored 33 points off them. Three Bears had at least six turnovers: Mia Galbraith with eight, Neenah George with seven and Heather Baymon with six.

Galbraith led Northern Colorado with seven points. George added six but went 3 of 14 from the field in 33 minutes, and Alex Pirog scored four on 2 of 3 shooting. Tatum West, Baymon and Da'Nae Jefferson scored three apiece. West played 32 minutes and had two steals, as did Baymon. Averie Varhaug went 1 for 1 for two points in 13 minutes off the bench, and Ellie Magestro-Kennedy added a free throw. The Bears finished with five assists on their 12 baskets and five steals as a team.

The Bears shot 12 of 38 from the field, 31.6 percent, and made just 1 of 8 from 3-point range. The low shot count tells its own story. With 32 turnovers, Northern Colorado simply did not get many possessions that ended in a shot. The Bears also went 4 of 8 at the line, did not block a shot and were called for 28 fouls.

How the margin grew

Texas won every quarter, 23-6, 26-3, 23-9 and 19-11. The margin was 17 after one quarter, 40 at halftime and 54 after three, and it reached 62 at the final horn. Northern Colorado's most productive period was the fourth, when it scored 11 points, and even then Texas closed the game on a 6-0 run.

The Longhorns' depth showed up in other ways, too. Preston scored five points with three assists and a block in 22 minutes, on top of the three charges. Texas' 38 bench points accounted for roughly 42 percent of its scoring, and no Longhorn other than Booker played more than 22 minutes. Ten different Texas players scored.

What it means and what is next

Two games in, Texas has done what a top-10 team should, and Booker has picked up where an All-American career left off. The milestone was the headline, but the defense was the real takeaway. Holding an opponent to nine points in a half, forcing 32 turnovers and committing only eight is a standard worth carrying into SEC play.

According to Texas, the Longhorns have now won 46 straight games at Moody Center and are 71-5 all-time in the building. That streak gets its next test quickly. Texas hosts South Dakota State on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network. According to AP, Texas won at South Dakota State by 19 points last season. Northern Colorado hosts Northern New Mexico on Monday.

For more on the Longhorns, read our recap of Texas' season-opening win over FDU and visit our Texas team page.

Sources: ESPN box score, Texas Athletics, AP.

Photo: Texas Athletics.