Madison Booker Breaks Records in Final Game of Season at Moody Center

With 2:50 on the clock in the final quarter of the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball Round of 32 matchup against the Oregon Ducks, chants of “MVP” rang through the Moody Center.

Those chants were directed toward a player who finished the game with 40 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and no turnovers: junior forward Madison Booker.

Not only did she set Texas’ record for the most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game, she paved the Longhorns’ way to a dominant 100-58 victory and punched their ticket to their fifth Sweet 16 appearance in the past six seasons.

What allowed Booker to have this performance?

Texas Longhorns junior forward Madison Booke — Mar 8, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA;Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) brings the ball up court against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In Texas’ first matchup of the NCAA tournament against the Missouri State Bears, head coach Vic Schaefer felt like his team had played a bit flatly. They still won by 42 points, but he noticed that some rust needed to be addressed before their Second Round game against Oregon.

A major part of sharpening his players for their next battle was making sure the ball spent enough time in Booker’s hands.

“Madison’s got certain spots on the floor it’s just hard to keep her from scoring from, and our kids understand that,” Schaefer said after his team’s win against the Ducks. “This team is really, really cerebral offensively– they understand spacing, they understand where each other is at and they understand where Madison needs the ball.”

That understanding became quite clear when Booker accumulated 14 points in the first quarter of the game alone. Graduate point guard Rori Harmon, who has played beside Booker for three seasons now, said she felt something big coming for the junior in this matchup.

“I saw something coming today,” Harmon said. “I knew something special was going to happen … I saw something in her eye. But Maddie is very unselfish and a very humble player. She’s a great teammate, and I think that’s the one thing we pay attention to.”

This matchup marked Harmon’s last one alongside Booker in the Moody Center, and she finished with nine points and six assists. Commanding her team in front of an electric home crowd one last time, Harmon left the court with tears in her eyes.

However, as she emphasized after the game, the team still has work left to do.

What else went well and what's next?

Texas Longhorns senior forward Teya Sidberr — Feb 26, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Teya Sidberry (32) takes a jump shot against Georgia Bulldogs guard Dani Carnegie (3) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

They will next brace for the Sweet 16, where they will look to utilize Booker, Harmon and several other roleplayers that contributed on Sunday.

Sophomore guard Jordan Lee finished with 17 points across 24 minutes of play, finding her shot and helping the offense further build momentum.

Senior forward Teya Sidberry entered the game in the first quarter, and for much of the game, it seemed as though Schaefer felt like she was playing too dynamically to be taken off. She finished the game with 11 points, and it will be interesting to see how Schaefer decides to use her throughout the rest of this tournament.

The team will take the court again on Friday in Fort Worth for the Sweet 16.

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