No. 7 Texas Longhorns Survive for Gutsy Win vs. Ole Miss Rebels

Texas Longhorns' head coach Vic Schaefer took his jacket off early in the first quarter Sunday afternoon in Oxford, and he had every reason to.

Playing their third game in six days, with the last two being against ranked opponents, Texas understandably looked tired, falling behind early to the Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels were well-rested, playing their first game in a week, but in a physical game, Texas battled until the very end, just like their male counterparts did against Texas A&M on Saturday.

Ole Miss led by seven in the fourth quarter, but Texas used the Rebels' going into the bonus early to shoot free throws and will their way back into the game, tying the score at 58 with two minutes left thanks to a 13-2 run over the last 4:45. Madison Booker, whose shooting had been slow all night, made a jumper to put Texas ahead with 26 seconds showing her toughness. Rori Harmon added a free throw with one second left and Booker intercepted the final inbound pass to seal Texas' 61-58 victory.

The Rebels were able to force the Longhorns out of their usual playing style, holding Texas to just eight second-chance points and only turning the ball over six times, areas Texas uses to its advantage.

Jan 20, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Booker had been blowing the competition out of the water with her shooting, but today she struggled in her home state. She shot just 5-15 from the floor but made her shot when it counted, finishing with 12 points. Despite this, her effort remained strong on defense and off the ball, blocking three shots and grabbing seven rebounds.

When other scorers struggled, Taylor Jones did what she does best, getting to the hoop and making her free throws, leading to 12 points in the first half, also adding three blocked shots. She would be Texas' lone offensive bright spot, scoring a season-high 24 points.

Point guard Rori Harmon also got back into the scoring column, scoring eight, dishing out seven assists and grabbing two steals. Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda started in place of injured Aaliyah Moore and put in solid minutes, scoring eight points.

After the first quarter, Texas trailed Ole Miss by seven points. The Rebels' lead wouldn't last long, as the Longhorns would go on a 10-0 run in the second quarter to retake the lead, but the hot Texas shooting would soon go ice cold. The early run was aided by Schaefer doing something he rarely does: playing zone defense. Prior to this, Texas had only played two possessions of zone all season, but it was effective early in the second quarter against Ole Miss, a team that likes to drive in the lane.

Following the Texas run, Ole Miss completely shifted the game's momentum and held the Longhorns to 0-7, forcing three turnovers in the last six minutes while using its defense to spark its offense and go back on top. The Rebels also outrebounded Texas, taking away the opportunity for second-chance points, an area the Longhorns usually dominate.

Without Moore, Texas was missing some of its depth around the basket and was thinned out due to Jones getting into foul trouble early in the third quarter. Both teams faced foul trouble, with each being forced to play players with three and four fouls.

While Texas came out stronger in the second half, the Rebels had an answer for everything the Longhorns did. Both Booker and Kyla Oldacre were forced to the bench with four fouls, leaving Texas even thinner than it already was for the fourth quarter.

Jones and Booker were the only Longhorns to score in double figures, and both finished the game with four fouls.

Despite nothing looking like it was going in Texas' favor, the Longhorns prevailed, advancing to 6-1 in conference play. Now, Texas will take a much-needed rest before returning to the Moody Center to take on Missouri on Thursday.

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