 "Photo: Erika Rich, Daily Texan Staff")
It didn’t take Erika Arriaran long to show how much she means to this Longhorn team.
After missing all of last year due to a knee injury, Arriaran came off the bench Saturday and shined in her first game back, registering a team-high 10 points in a 66-40 win against the Dayton Flyers. Arriaran made four out of her first five shots, including two from beyond the arc in 22 minutes of play.
The Longhorn bench was the story of the night, outscoring the Flyers 37-8.
“I was pleased in particular with my bench [Saturday night],” said head coach Gail Goestenkors. “I thought they gave us some energy, and it helped us a lot.”
Kristin Daugherty led the Flyers in scoring with 15 points on 5-19 shooting.
The Longhorns jumped out to a 6-0 lead early on before the Flyers tied the game. That was the closest they came the remainder of the game, as the Longhorns finished the first half up 37-20. Turnovers played a crucial role in the outcome of the ballgame as Texas committed only 16 to Dayton’s 25. The Longhorns punished the Flyer’s for their mistakes, scoring 25 points off those mishaps.
“Our biggest fear was controlling the basketball,” said Dayton head coach Jim Jabir, “which we didn’t do a good job of.”
Texas finished the game shooting 42 percent from the field, compared to only 28 percent for the Flyers.
“I’m very impressed with Texas. They have some things to iron out, but their future is really bright,” Jabir said.
On Sunday, Texas routed Saint Mary’s 110-76, in what was the Longhorns’ first 100-point performance since Dec. 15, 2002. The Longhorns jumped out early to a 9-0 lead, one they would never relinquish. Saint Mary’s did close the gap to 16-13, but Texas closed the half on a 36-23 run.
“I was very proud of the team. I think we came out aggressively on both ends of the floor,” Goestenkors said. “It was a fun game to watch.”
Arriaran continued where she left off Saturday, shooting 9-for-15 for a team-high 21 points.
Senior forward Ashley Lindsey and junior guard Brittainey Raven paced the Longhorns with strong performances scoring 15 and 20 points, respectively.
Kathleen Nash scored a career-high 20 points. Nash, who is emerging as one of Texas’ best defenders, also finished with seven rebounds and three steals.
“We have been working on defense a lot in practice,” Nash said. “With my height, we felt that I should be able to block a shot and slow down penetration, so we’ve worked on that.”
Senior guard Carla Cortijo made large contributions for the Longhorn offense, dishing out a team-high 12 assists that night.
“I was trying to push the ball and make the game a little bit faster,” Cortijo said. “And that’s what I did.”
The Longhorns had another strong performance from their bench, which accounted for 46 points.
“I am very pleased with the bench,” Goestenkors said. “I felt like the starters gave us great energy, and when the bench came in, there was no let down. We are basically coming at our opponents in waves.”
Freshman forward Ashlee Smith was the leading scorer for Saint Mary’s with 17 points, while sophomore forward Louella Tomlinson had 10 rebounds to lead the Gaels.
“Texas is a good team. There is a reason they are ranked so high,” said Saint Mary’s head coach Paul Thomas. “I think we did a fairly decent job of running the floor, and I think we scored 76 points against a team that is going to do very well in the Big 12.”
The Longhorns will now match up against No. 25 Old Dominion on Monday night.
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