Texas, UCLA know each other well (Mar 21, 2018)
There will be loads of familiarity between Texas and UCLA when they square off on Friday in a NCAA Regional Semifinal at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
The teams have played each other twice in the last four years and employ similar styles, which makes the games' intangibles even more important.
The No. 8-ranked and second-seeded Longhorns make their fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance while No. 9 and third-seeded UCLA has advanced to the round of 16 for the last three seasons, an indication that both teams have plenty of big-game experience and moxie.
Texas earned a spot in the Sweet 16 via an 85-65 victory over Arizona State on Monday while UCLA blasted Creighton 86-64, also on Monday.
The Longhorns shot 61.7 percent (37-of-60) from the field against Arizona State, their second-highest shooting percentage of the season after hitting 61.8 percent (34-of-55) of their shots against Maine in the NCAA First Round.
The two efforts were the 11th- and 12th-best single-game shooting percentages in program history.
Junior guard Lashann Higgs scored 19 points for Texas against the Sun Devils on 9-of-12 shooting in 29 minutes.
In two NCAA Tournament games this season, Higgs is averaging a team- high 17.0 points per game and shooting a squad-best 78.9 percent from the field.
"Right now, it's about having more discipline on the offensive end," Higgs said of Texas' shooting prowess. "The discipline to reverse the ball. The discipline to make the right pass. It's becoming more of a team effort."
Texas also outrebounded Arizona State 40-19, the 29th time in 34 games this season that the Longhorns have earned the rebounding edge. Texas ranks second nationally in rebound margin at plus-11.4 and are 10th in the nation in rebounds per game.
Texas' fourth consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearances are the most since the Longhorns made eight NCAA Regional Semifinal appearances in a row from 1983-90.
UCLA heads to the Sweet 16 with its own momentum, led by the excellent overall game of senior point guard Jordin Canada, who had a game-high 21 points, eight assists, six rebounds and five steals against Creighton.
The Bruins' attack was well-balanced in the win as five UCLA players finished in double-figure scoring.
"I'm just so proud of our players," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "We've talked a lot about sustaining our focus and our identity for 40 minutes and not only did we do that, but we did that against a very good team in Creighton."
Texas and UCLA are meeting for the 13th time, with the series tied 6-6.
The teams have twice met in the NCAA Tournament, tied at 1-1, with the most recent showdown a 72-64 win by the Longhorns in the NCAA Regional Semifinal at Bridgeport, Conn., on March 26, 2016.
"Yeah, they're really good," Texas coach Karen Aston said about UCLA. "Seeing them a lot, just randomly watching Pac-12 games in the middle of the night when you can't sleep, then we've got to look at them, not purposely, but in prepping for Arizona State.
"We're very familiar with them. We've played them. We've scrimmaged them. They're a really, really good basketball team."
Close said there is a respect and a familiarity between the teams and that the game will come down to execution and possessions.
"Everybody knows who they are on this team now, everybody knows their role," Canada explained about the Bruins. "Everyone is playing to their potential and playing to who they are and that's what's different about us.
"Obviously, Texas is a really great team and they're kind of similar to us, just that aggressiveness and we know it's going to be physical. It's going to be a battle, but it all comes down to possessions and who wants it more."
