Texas Longhorns Women's Basketball Battles from Behind for First SEC Win

The No. 2 Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team has already proved itself as a team to beat during the 2025-2026 season.

However, what they proved on Thursday is that they aren’t afraid of crawling back from behind for a road victory in the SEC.

Texas took down the Missouri Tigers on Jan. 1, moving their overall record to 16-0 and opening conference play on a positive note.

Texas escapes Missouri with a comeback win

Texas Longhorns women's basketbal — Dec 14, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears forward Bella Fontleroy (22) battles for a rebound against Texas Longhorns forward Justice Carlton (11) during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

No team wants to be down 12 points in the first three minutes of their SEC opener, but that is where Texas found itself against the Tigers. The score read 14-2, capturing the Longhorns’ difficulty settling into a rhythm in Columbia, Missouri.

Luckily for Texas, the first quarter of the matchup didn’t reflect the game at large. After four quarters of tough road play, the Longhorns claimed an 89-71 victory.

Rallying around a strong couple of minutes headed into halftime and a solid few coming out of it, this Texas team was able to find the momentum and competitiveness that their fanbase knows them for.

Forward Madison Booker led the way with 28 points, and guard Jordan Lee added 23 points to the effort. The Longhorns also relied on point guard Rori Harmon to help them make plays, especially in those critical turning point moments in the middle of the matchup.

It might not have been as pretty as Texas had hoped it would be, and being outshot by Missouri percentage-wise probably wasn't on their agenda for the night. The Tigers shot 53 percent to the Longhorns’ 45, outdoing them from behind the three-point line by 25 percent.

That being said, adding a win to the column is a generally good way to commence conference play. Their ability to create an 18-point lead after falling so early demonstrates a solid ability to fight from behind, something that could be critical later on this season.

What’s next for Texas?

Next, the Longhorns will return to Austin to host the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels at 2 p.m. on Jan. 4.

The Rebels have established an impressive record of 14-2 so far this season, earning their first conference win against the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday with a final score of 79-62.

Using the energy of their home crowd to take down Ole Miss would be a strong resume builder for Texas, helping them create more momentum to tackle the rest of conference play with.