Vic Schaefer Identifies Possible Achilles Heel for Texas Longhorns

While it hasn't hurt the Texas Longhorns too badly yet, head coach Vic Schaefer addressed one major area where his team must improve.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

It’s hard to believe that a 100-38 victory in collegiate basketball wouldn’t prompt celebration. 

However, following the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team’s blowout victory against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, head coach Vic Schaefer had more critiques than praises for his team.

There was one area in particular in which he felt his team failed on Monday: free throw shooting.

Schaefer on Texas’ Achilles heel

Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Kyla Oldacre (00) warms up prior to a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Despite three blowout wins to open their season, Schaefer is dissatisfied with the percentage of shots his team is making from the free-throw line.

“Free throws continue to be kind of an Achilles heel for our team,” he said after the Louisiana game. “We are really not shooting it well at the free-throw line. 64% tonight, 45% the other night.”

The team got to take 28 shots from the line against the Ragin Cajuns, making 18 to reach that 64% statistic Schaefer referred to in his press conference. They made just 11 of 24 free throws against the Richmond Spiders on Friday.

It was senior center Kyla Oldacre who went to the line more than any other Longhorn player against Louisiana. She missed seven of her 12 total attempts, meaning that her individual free-throw percentage was 42% by the end of the matchup.

Schaefer emphasized postgame how big of a loss that is for Oldacre and her team.

“She had 19 [points] and could’ve had 26 and went five for 12 from the free throw line,” he said.

While it didn’t make a big difference to Tuesday’s outcome, there have been matchups that get decided by a team’s efficiency at capitalizing on shooting fouls. The Longhorns have many tough opponents ahead this season, and they will likely have multiple matchups in which every free throw counts. 

Only two games stand between Texas and its matchup against No. 3 UCLA on the road on Nov. 26. This battle will likely require the Longhorns' best, and Schaefer doesn’t think they met that standard against Louisiana. 

However, given how early in the season it is, there is still plenty of time to tighten things up.

“I think it’s things we can fix,” Schaefer said. “It’s still way too early. We’ve had 32 or 33 practices, and so we’ve got some work to do on that end. That’s all I’m saying. I think our kids would tell you that they would agree, and that we’ve got some work to do on that.”

The Longhorns will next take the court against the Texas Southern Tigers at the Moody Center on Nov. 16.