Texas Longhorns Take Down Tennessee Volunteers In SEC Thriller

AUSTIN - In a back-and-forth showdown, the No. 7 Texas Longhorns and No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers did not disappoint. As expected, this game went down to the wire. The game was never out of reach until the very end, when senior point guard Rori Harmon drained two free throws with three seconds left to extend Texas' lead to four.

The Longhorns won 80-76 in an all-time thriller, a game that was an NCAA tournament-caliber showdown.

The Volunteers got off to a hot start, taking an early 5-0 lead off of three early steals, but Texas would respond quickly and not take its foot off the gas.

The two teams play almost completely opposite styles of basketball, with Tennessee dominating the three-point line and Texas: the paint. The Volunteers made nine of 17 attempted threes and Texas made one of six. The Longhorns shot 50 percent from the floor, making 32 field goals.

In a high-scoring game, it was a battle of the guards, but one shined brighter than the others. Texas' sophomore guard Madison Booker scored 26 points and was the games leading scorer. In her past three games, she has scored 76 points.

The defensive battle was even, as Tennessee pressed the Longhorns high, forcing them to adjust. Texas played its usual strong man defense, and the turnover battle was even. Each team turned the ball over 12 times and had 12 points off turnovers.

Taylor Jones goes up for a shot — Texas Longhorns forward Taylor Jones (44) puts the ball up as Tennessee Lady Vols guard Sara Puckett (1) defends in the first half as the Texas Longhorns take on the Tennessee Lady Vols in the Moody Center, Jan. 23, 2025. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the paint, Taylor Jones dominated the offensive glass as she recorded a double-double, her sixth of the season. Despite leaving the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, she returned and scored 21 points, including several in crunch time to give Texas the lead back. Also in the paint, Aalyiah Moore had a big game, scoring 11 of her own points and grabbing four rebounds.

Harmon, though she hasn't been the biggest scorer for Texas came up clutch and contributed in other ways, scoring eight points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing three steals.

With the win, Texas moves to 19-2 overall and 5-1 in SEC play. Texas showed that it can go down to the wire in close games and make shots when it counts most. Its next game is Sunday, Jan 26 at Ole Miss.

Join the Community:

Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE

You can follow us for future coverage by subscribing to our newsletter here. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @LonghornsCountryOnSI & follow us on Twitter at @LonghornsSI

Other Texas Longhorns News

MORE: College Football's Top 2025 QBs: Where Does Texas Longhorns' Arch Manning Rank?

MORE: No. 1 Texas Longhorns Softball Releases Full 2025 Schedule

MORE: Chendall Weaver Still 'Out Indefinitely' for Texas vs. Texas A&M

MORE: Analyst Believes Quinn Ewers Could Be Fast Riser in NFL Draft

MORE: Texas Longhorns' Rori Harmon Reflects on First Five SEC Games