Texas Longhorns Continue Hot Streak with Sweet 16 Victory

March Madness is often associated with back-and-forth matchups, heart palpitations and adrenaline of unparalleled levels.

However, in their first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team hasn’t forced its fans to hold their breath or close their eyes.

Texas took down the Kentucky Wildcats 76-54 in the Sweet 16 on Saturday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, taking over early and removing the pressure from each individual play.

Texas takes the wheel in first quarter

Texas Longhorns sophomore guard Jordan Le — Mar 28, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Lee (7) passes the ball over Kentucky Wildcats center Clara Strack (13) during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

It’s hard to come back from a 29-11 first quarter deficit, and that’s exactly what the Longhorns’ first 10 minutes challenged the Wildcats to do. According to Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer, creating this differential early on in the matchup opens up more on the floor for his team.

“The game gets so much easier to coach when you're not living and dying with every defensive possession– when you're not trying to grind out some 62-58 win and living and dying with every possession,” Schaefer said.

The Longhorns rallied around standout performances by three usual suspects when it came to creating and maintaining their lead: sophomore guard Jordan Lee, junior forward Madison Booker and graduate point guard Rori Harmon.

Lee led the team in scoring with 18 points, continuing to establish herself as a player who can’t be taken off the court.

Harmon, even with the jammed middle finger injury she sustained in the first quarter, once again served as an extension of Schaefer when it came to running the team and creating opportunities for her teammates.

And Booker, following her career-high scoring performance against the Oregon Ducks last week, posted 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Texas in their winning effort.

Texas advances to the Elite Eight to take on the Michigan Wolverines, and the Wildcats return to Lexington, Kentucky, defeated. Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks expressed gratitude for his improving program after the game, but ultimately, he acknowledged how hard it is to establish rhythm against this Texas team on a run.

“They were on a different planet today, especially that first quarter,” Brooks said. “That team that Vic has -- and Vic is one of the best coaches in the country, and that team is as well-constructed a team as I've ever seen in women's basketball.”

That being said, Brooks' team made a noticeable comeback effort in the second half of the matchup. The second half of the game ended in a 28-28 tie, something Schaefer was not particularly pleased with.

“We turned the ball over way too much,” Schaefer said of his team’s second-half performance. “I just thought second half was frustrating at times.”

However, he recognized that it can be hard for college students to approach the second half as if the score is tied when they are up by over 20 points.

Texas also struggled in terms of free throw shooting, an issue of theirs from the nonconference season that Schaefer had expressed early concerns about. It didn’t make a difference in Saturday’s outcome, but as the tournament advances, going 5-15 from behind the free throw line could be detrimental for the Longhorns.

That being said, Harmon trusts her team to fix it as they move forward into the Elite Eight.

“I’m not concerned,” Harmon said. “We’ll fix it.”

Playing what is arguably their best basketball season, the Longhorns look to utilize depth, talent and drive to extend this run as far as they can.

They will return to Dickies Arena on Monday to take on the Wolverines in an effort to surge to the Final Four.

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