Rori Harmon started crying when it was clear the Texas Longhorns were going to lose the Final Four game against the UCLA Bruins. With 4.0 seconds remaining, and UCLA in the driver’s seat with a 51-44 lead, Harmon knew her college basketball career was over.
In that moment, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer consoled the dejected senior when her shot at becoming a national champion closed. The heartfelt moment was captured on camera as Schaefer made sure Harmon was not losing it.
On the night, Harmon could only score eight points, shooting 4-11 from the field, including 0-1 from the 3-point line. She also had five rebounds, five assists, four steals and two turnovers.
Harmon was one of the program’s most important leaders, known for her defense and playmaking.
Rori Harmon Defends Madison Booker Despite Dismal Shooting in Final Four Loss
Texas didn’t shoot well in the first quarter, scoring only six points, and that came back to haunt them. Madison Booker was surprisingly the worst shooter, converting only 3 of 23 field goal attempts, including 0-of-4 from the 3-point line, for just six points. Texas was never going to win when its best scorer struggled to get going.
It was easy to see why everyone on the internet pinned the blame on Booker for the loss. Booker herself couldn’t believe her shooting number as she broke down during the press conference.
“I actually have no idea… I don’t know. I just…” Booker said.
After scoring the first points on the night, Booker missed the next 17 shots, which was the longest streak in missed field goals in NCAA Final Four history.
“It felt like every shot I put up, it felt like it was going to be money, but no,” Booker added. “I think my teammates did a great job today at just making sure my spirits were high, my confidence was still high. Every shot, I shot it with confidence.”
Like a good senior, Harmon defended and supported Booker in the press conference.
“(Booker’s) going to sit here and be like, ‘This is on me.’ No, it’s not,” Harmon said. “You got to realize, (Madison Booker) is human. She’s a basketball player. I truly told Maddie, ‘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 (Booker) 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.”
While Harmon is departing, Booker still has an opportunity to bring Texas back to the Final Four next season.
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