Texas Takes Down Florida Gators Between Two Rivalry Matchups

The Texas Longhorns will leave Gainesville with a win, helping prepare them for their Red River Rivalry matchup on Sunday at the Moody Center.

Jan 29, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer huddles with Texas Longhorns center Kyla Oldacre (00), Texas Longhorns guard Sarah Graves (6), Texas Longhorns forward Teya Sidberry (32) and Texas Longhorns forward Breya Cunningham (25) after a game against the Florida Gators at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

With two rivalry games in the span of two weeks, little room for error exists for the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team.

Between matchups against the Texas A&M Aggies and the Oklahoma Sooners, head coach Vic Schaefer and his squad took to the road to face the Florida Gators. 

They emerged from Gainesville with a decisive victory, returning home with momentum for the Red River Rivalry.

Madison Booker leads the Longhorns to 20-point victory

Jan 29, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) drives to the basket past Florida Gators guard Daviane Mindoudi (12) during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Longhorns finished out their matchup with a final score of 88-68, coming back from a first-quarter deficit and controlling the matchup from that point forward. 

Forward Madison Booker scored 24 points across the 33 minutes she spent on the court on Thursday against the Gators. She had the most to show in terms of points scored, but this win was still a team one for Texas.

Nine different players added points to the effort, demonstrating the depth that exists within the Longhorns’ roster. This work helped Texas move to 5-2 in conference play, a strong record to enter a matchup against their arch rivals. 

That being said, there will still be aspects of their game the Longhorns need to clean up as their season progresses. 

Texas still working to minimize turnovers

Jan 29, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) dribbles the ball at Florida Gators guard Liv McGill (23) during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

After starting out as one of the best teams in the league in terms of ball security, Texas has recently struggled with turnovers. They racked up 13 against the Gators, and this will likely continue to be a point of emphasis for the team. 

That being said, improvements seem to be occurring, as they turned the ball over 22 times against the South Carolina Gamecocks a few weeks back.

With their game against Oklahoma fast approaching, it will be interesting to see how they improve as far as ball security goes. Texas will have a rowdy home crowd to bolster its performance, and College GameDay will be in attendance.

The stakes associated with this matchup are high, and the Longhorns could use a victory to help propel them through this next stretch of conference season before the SEC tournament, which will begin on March 4. 

Just one month stands between Texas and the end of their regular season, and fans eagerly await the potential surrounding their postseason run. Thursday’s win against the Florida Gators helps them get one step closer to the ultimate goal of their season, claiming the national title.