AUSTIN, Texas — Aaliyah Moore matched her career best with 21 points, had 10 rebounds and made a timely defensive play in the fourth quarter to help No. 1 seed Texas beat Alabama 65-54 on Sunday in a second round women's NCAA Tournament game.
Freshman Madison Booker also scored 21 for Texas, which will face the Utah-Gonzaga winner in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Portland, Oregon. Booker wears No. 35 in honor of Kevin Durant, who was at the game.
Texas (32-4) has its most victories since finishing 32-3 in 1987-88.
DeYona Gaston had seven of her nine points, and six of her seven rebounds, in the second half. Taylor Jones had four of the Longhorns' 11 blocked shots.
Jones left the game midway through the first quarter after falling and hitting the back of her head on the court while contesting a rebound. She went to the locker room but returned in the second quarter.
Sarah Ashlee Barker scored 17 for Alabama (24-10), a No. 8 seed, and Aaliyah Nye added 14.
Moore, a starting forward, plays with tendinitis in her right knee, not the left one in which she suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament early last season. She played 34 minutes after logging just one in the opening win over Drexel on Friday.
Moore, who isn't known as a 3-point shooter, made one to beat the 30-second shot clock and give Texas a 45-32 lead with 3:39 left in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, she ran down Del'Janae Williams and blocked her fast-break layup attempt that could have cut the Texas lead to six.
