Texas Takes Down Ole Miss to Advance to SEC Championship

Winning their Southeastern conference tournament semifinal matchup against the Ole Miss Rebels might not have been easy for the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team, but they accomplished it decisively.

It required a dominant fourth quarter effort and lights out performances by several of their key playmakers, but Texas is officially one step closer to their first SEC title in program history.

Here’s a rundown of Saturday’s action against the Rebels in Greenville, South Carolina:

Madison Booker did what she does best

Ole Miss Rebels guard Debreasha Powe (21) is guarded by Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) Saturday, March 7, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Junior forward Madison Booker, who has led her team in scoring this season with an average of 18.5 points per game, pulled through for the Longhorns with 31 points on Saturday to help her team advance. Her offensive prowess was most prominently displayed in the fourth quarter, as she scored 13 points to help her team extend a lead that had become uncomfortably tight in the third quarter.

Texas finished the third quarter with just two points on Ole Miss, being outscored 23-15 coming out of halftime. That being said, Booker’s ability to tap into a whole new level of play when her team needed her most is why the junior is in just about every conversation regarding the best players in the NCAA right now.

She would finish the matchup not only as the Longhorns’ leading scorer, but also having accumulated 11 rebounds and five assists. She delivered in several different aspects, and she will be a player that the South Carolina Gamecocks will have to figure out how to slow down if they are to win on Sunday in the championship.

Other standouts

Mar 7, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Texas Longhorns center Kyla Oldacre (00) shoots the ball guarded by Mississippi Rebels forward Latasha Lattimore (8) during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

However, even if the Gamecocks manage to contain Texas’ star forward, the Longhorns can’t be counted out.

Senior center Kyla Oldacre used her size in the paint to muscle her way to 19 points and eight rebounds against the Rebels, demonstrating how difficult it is to stop her from driving to the net. Sophomore guard Jordan Lee added 14 points across 39 minutes of play, remaining on the court for all but one minute of Saturday’s action.

Sophomore forward Justice Carlton had a bit of a quieter game than she’s been having recently, but she could be another player to watch in the championship matchup.

Both Texas and South Carolina achieved momentous semifinal victories, and they will face each other for the second consecutive year in the SEC championship matchup. The two teams have met twice before this season, putting together a record of 1-1 against each other.

They will face off on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in what could be anyone’s game for the taking.