Vic Schaefer Addresses Benching of Rori Harmon in Loss Against LSU

The Texas Longhorns traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday in hopes of gaining their 19th win of the season, but what they instead returned home with was their first loss.

In what head coach Vic Schaefer described as the team’s worst game of the season, he was forced to make several lineup changes to try to help his team stay in the matchup.

As the Longhorns prepare to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road this upcoming Thursday, Schaefer has provided a little bit more detail surrounding the in-game benching of his star point guard.

Schaefer elaborates upon Rori Harmon situation

Texas Longhorns point guard Rori Harmo — Dec 14, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) drives to the basket against Baylor Bears guard Jana Van Gytenbeek (4) during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Point guard Rori Harmon is currently embracing her fifth season with the Longhorns, and she has built quite the reputation for herself during her tenure at Texas. Last year, she became the first player in Texas women’s basketball history to accumulate 1,200 points and 700 assists.

However, ahead of the fourth quarter of the Longhorns’ matchup against LSU, Harmon found herself not running her team, but sitting on the bench.

“There was nothing in my mind that could justify making any substitution with any of those players that were out there doing what they were doing in that fourth quarter,” Schaefer said following the loss.

By the time she exited the game for good, Harmon had logged just two points, going 1-7 through those first three quarters. She tallied three assists, despite averaging 7.4 per game this season. Ultimately, she struggled to command the court in the way that she typically does.

That being said, Schaefer emphasized that her singular underperformance and benching does not undermine the way in which he views her as a player and as a person. In fact, he actually compared the point guard to himself and talked about their comparable competitive nature.

“Let’s make sure we all know that Rori is a competitor like her coach,” he said. “She’s so much like me. That’s why we’re so compatible at times, and then sometimes we just want to win, and we both think we can help us win.”

Schaefer continued by praising Harmon and everything she has given to this program.

“When she leaves the University of Texas, she’s not only going to be the all time greatest point guard to ever play here,” he said. “She’ll be the only player in the history of the women’s game to have her numbers. So Rori is the best that I’ve ever had playing at the position, but on that day, on Sunday, in that game, I was just trying to win that game.”

While his team ultimately fell short by just five points, they improved tremendously in the fourth quarter from a statistical standpoint. After scoring 11, 14 and 14 points in the first three respective quarters, they outscored their opponent 26-20 in the final quarter of the matchup.

Whether or not this team is able to make successful adjustments and bounce back from this disappointing loss will be revealed on Thursday in Columbia, South Carolina, against the Gamecocks.