AUSTIN, Texas--  McNeese's Damilola Balogun led all players with nine rebounds but No. 11 Texas used its speed and athleticism to pick up a 96-40 women's basketball victory here Thursday night at the Frank Erwin Center.
 
The win keeps Texas undefeated on the season at 3-0 while the Cowgirls fall to 0-3 on the year. McNeese will travel to UL-Monroe for a 2 p.m. game Sunday before returning home next Wednesday for an 11 a.m. game against LSU-Alexandria.
 
"I am proud of our effort and hustle tonight," said head coach Kacie Cryer. "I know the score doesn't indicate it, but we got better tonight. We will take the positives from this game and will build on them. We are continuing to get more comfortable, and I'm excited about that."
 
The Longhorns opened the game by scoring the first seven points to take a quick 7-0 lead before McNeese redshirt freshman Callie Maddox put the Cowgirls on the board with a layup, a little less than two minutes into the game. In fact, Maddox scored the Cowgirls' first six points of the game as the Cowgirls trailed 15-6 at the first media timeout.
 
Maddox, Maia Robinson and Balogun all led McNeese in scoring with eight points. Robinson also ended the game with seven rebounds, all coming on the defensive glass.
 
Texas placed six players in double figure scoring, led by Charli Collier's game high 15 points. Danni Williams added 14 points, Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 11 and Sug Sutton, Audrey Warren and Jatarie White, all chipped in with 10 apiece. Lashann Higgs, a Citizen Naismith Trophy candidate for Women's Player of the Year and the Longhorns leading scorer was held to nine points, 11 below her average.
 
The Longhorns outscored McNeese 58-18 in the paint with 25 coming off fast break points. With a much taller team, Texas only outrebounded McNeese by seven (42-35). Turnovers also hindered the Cowgirls as they turned the ball over 30 times and UT scored 34 points off those turnovers.
 
"This young group is trying to figure out the pace of the game. We told them that we have to get back in transition because transition is their thing. Also, turning the ball over 30 times isn't a good thing and it really isn't good against a good team like Texas," Cryer said.
 
Texas started the second half on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 57-19 lead following a Destiny Littleton three-pointer. Regan Bolton ended the Cowgirls scoring drought with a jumper with 6:10 left in the quarter.  
 
"We have a lot to be proud of and we will get back home late in the morning but will get back to work Friday afternoon to prepare for UL-Monroe."