Texas women’s basketball comfortably defeated Southern University 97-39 on Wednesday night. They shot 50.9% from the field with senior Taylor Jones and sophomore Madison Booker leading the team in scoring.
Meanwhile, fifth-year senior Shay Holle put up with a bagel in the points column, going 0-for-4 from the 3-point line. She’s been in a slump from distance to start the year, shooting 27% compared to the 37.6% mark she had in the 2023-24 season.
More: Texas basketball: Jordan Lee shines while Rori Harmon makes history against James Madison
Holle has never been billed as a leading scorer. A gold member of the “do the little things” club, her ability to adapt to the situation is how she became the program’s all-time leader in games played. She reached the milestone after playing versus Notre Dame but was honored on Wednesday in Moody Center.
“I’ve got to watch her grow and mature, get better, improve her skill set, work,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “It’s been an honor for me to have her in our program and to watch her invest in her game and learn a new position.”
Becoming the locker room “mom”
Aside from points, Holle filled the stat sheet against Southern University with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. She was selected to the Big 12 all-defensive team last year and in the big moments, she’s proven she can still show up. In Texas’ loss to Notre Dame, she scored 14 points on 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 8 from three.
Nothing was given to Holle. Initially recruited by former Texas coach Karen Aston, the Westlake product had no relationship with Schaefer as a freshman, and neither did most of the team. As she grew, Holle earned more and more of Schaefer’s trust until she became known as the locker room “mom.”
Having a veteran like Holle around was indispensable to Booker, who was thrust into the spotlight her freshman year after Harmon went down with an injury.
“I mean, when you’ve been with like a coach for five years, I know what he wants done and how he wants it done, and I know what it feels like to be a freshman … it’s really nerve-wracking and it’s stressful. So I just want to try to help them out as much as I can, because I obviously know how it feels,” Holle said.
A dying breed
Holle is a player Schaefer describes as a “dying breed” in the era of the transfer portal. With money flying around and opportunities for increased playing time and expanded roles, athletes looking to maximize their brief college careers are switching schools at an alarming rate.
An Austin native, Holle always dreamt of going to Texas, so she never felt any pressure to leave. She also grew up in the era before NIL, when free schooling was the main plus to a collegiate athletics career. Holle doesn’t criticize the usage of NIL — it’s a tremendous opportunity for her and her peers — it’s simply not something she likes to rely upon.
“I look at it as like a bonus, not necessarily something that would make me leave or go somewhere else,” Holle said.
There are good reasons to use the transfer portals. Athletes have benefited tremendously, as have schools. But Holle’s experience and impact on the younger Texas players is what will hold Schaefer’s program together in the future.
“Always keeping my head up, always being right there for me,” Booker said. “That’s a great person to look up to … it’s just the little things that Shay does.”
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas basketball cruises to victory over Southern University
