Texas' Booker, Harmon bond for last time in Final Four loss to UCLA

Texas not only lost in its second consecutive Women's Final Four, but it's also losing one of the nation's best duos.

The Longhorns' All-American junior forward Madison Booker and fifth-year senior guard Rori Harmon, sat together on the floor and against the wall outside the team's locker room before addressing the media together one final time in college. They were exhausted and devastated from a 51-44 loss to UCLA in the Final Four at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 3 in Phoenix.

Booker and Harmon tried to relish their last college game together.

"That's my sister. Not much to say about it," Booker said with tears. "Just her growth just over the years since I've been here. I mean, my first year coming in, it didn't go as planned. We didn't play a full year together. Going down with her, I've learned so much from her.

"Impact on and off the court. Our relationship we built. There's not many words to describe it. I mean, I will always root for Rori no matter what. I still think she's one of the best defenders in the country. Like coach (Vic) Schaefer was saying, I don't think people give her her flowers enough."

This was a reversal of fortune for the Longhorns, which dominated the Bruins in a 76-65 win at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas on Nov. 26.

Texas didn't regain the lead after scoring the game's first bucket on Friday. Shaefer sat alongside his Harmon (8 points on 4-of-11, 5 assists, 4 steals), Booker and senior backup center Kyla Oldacre (11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) with despondent faces at the podium.

"We feel like in our locker room we let one get away," Shaefer said. "I think this one will haunt me as the coach for probably till the day I die."

Schaefer's team shot 11-for-25 at the rim and 18-for-44 overall. After trailing 14-6 in the first quarter, the smothering Texas defense created momentum on a 9-4 run to get back in it.

But Booker's reliable midrange jumpshot just wasn't there. She hit an 18-footer for the game's first bucket, then missed her next 16 shots — an unwanted Final Four record for the longest stretch without a field goal. Booker finished 3-of-23 for just six points.

"You got to realize, she's human," Harmon said after multiple questions for Booker on being off the mark all game. "We want her to take those shots. ... All eyes go to Madison Booker. I truly told Maddy, I don't care. I don't care what your statistics look like.

"There was plenty of other things that caused us to lose the game, not just because Madison missed her money midrange. Because I promise you we'll continue to go back to her, we'll continue to look for her, we'll continue to tell her to take her shot."

Schaefer didn't mince his words as he scolded the media that it's a "crying shame" for Harmon to be overlooked for All-America honors for a deserved place in college basketball history. She's the nation's third-best in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.83), all-time assists and steals leader at Texas.

"Rori Harmon has scored 1,616 points, 977 assists, 659 rebounds, and 388 steals," Schaefer said. "Not one agency has ever voted her All-American. There's not another player in the history of our game, you hear me, not another player in the history of our game that has had those stats, those four statistics. Not one. She's won 137 games."

Schaefer has Booker for two more years of eligibility, but he'll miss having Harmon on the court with her.

"The thing about her and Rori, they've played off each other for two years," Schaefer said. "They make each other so much better. They create for each other. I think that's what's been so cool about those two playing together."

Texas Longhorns fans on hand

Laura Arabie, 55, Austin, Texas:As an Austin native, Laura is used to watching the Longhorns dominate. With the final four happening in the Valley, this was the 10th tournament she’s attended. Watching the women’s team in the tournament, Arabie wanted the Longhorns to come out with the same intensity as last Monday's game against Michigan on March 30.

“They need to play exactly how they played on Monday, as long as they stick to playing their game, they can beat anyone”, Arabie said. Before the game, she spotlighted Madison Booker, the leading scorer for the Longhorns in the game against Michigan.

She said Booker is a must-watch in the game against the Bruins: “The game changer will be Madison Booker, she can turn the game in the Longhorns favor once she gets hot." Booker, unfortunately, did not deliver.

Republic reporter Christian Cervantes contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Texas' Booker, Harmon bond for last time in Final Four loss