Texas Longhorns Brace for SEC Rematch in Sweet 16

About a month and a half ago at the Moody Center, the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team defeated the Kentucky Wildcats by 11 points.

The matchup marked their third consecutive conference win in a row against a ranked opponent, but head coach Vic Schaefer was not proud of the effort his team put forth. He said his players didn’t look ready to play, something he took full responsibility for in his postgame press conference.

This Friday at the Dickies Arena, the Longhorns will get another chance to play the Wildcats with a Schaefer-approved level of intensity.

Kentucky beats West Virginia to advance to Sweet 16

Kentucky Wildcats women's basketbal — Kentucky Wildcats guard Josie Gilvin (33) high-fives Kentucky Wildcats guard Tonie Morgan (5) Friday, March 6, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite a fourth quarter surge by the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Wildcats narrowly clung to the lead they had developed throughout the first three quarters of play in their Round of 32 matchup. They punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 73-72 victory, rallying around a 19-point effort by senior forward Teonni Key and an 18-point game by junior center Clara Strack.

This climactic win could help provide Kentucky with momentum as they approach this next round, but facing a Texas team that beat them once already this season will require a lot to go right.

It’s also difficult to overlook the momentum that the Longhorns built with their most recent victory.

It wasn’t close like Kentucky’s game against West Virginia was, but Texas’ home crowd at the Moody Center gave its all to the Longhorns for their final home contest of the season on Sunday. Schaefer commended his team’s effort in its 100-58 win over the Oregon Ducks, emphasizing strong performances by junior forward Madison Booker, graduate point guard Rori Harmon and senior forward Teya Sidberry.

Booker scored a career-high 40 points, Harmon said her final goodbye to the home fanbase that has grown with her these past five seasons and Sidberry proved her worthiness of getting more court time as the tournament progresses.

These three and the rest of the team now brace for a relatively short road trip north to Fort Worth, where they will look to keep the positive energy going and give themselves a chance to move further in the tournament. Schaefer didn’t like his team’s performance the last time the Wildcats entered the state of Texas, so this provides an opportunity for them to demonstrate their growth on a big stage.

This Southeastern Conference showdown could be a scrappy one, but both teams have something to prove. With an Elite 8 appearance on the line, Texas and Kentucky will take the court on Saturday at the Dickies Arena.

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