If Sunday’s scrappy win over Ole Miss was a wake-up call for Texas women’s basketball, then Thursday’s 97-36 win over Auburn was the answer.
After a plethora of uncharacteristic mistakes and a late blown lead against the Rebels, the Longhorns returned to the Moody Center calm, cool and collected — just another day at the office.
Texas opened the game on a 20-0 run and never let up, dominating all four quarters to improve to an 18–0 record. The Longhorns dominated at a level that allowed graduate point guard Rori Harmon to sit out for 16 minutes. After committing five turnovers against the Rebels, Harmon bounced back with 10 points, seven assists and zero turnovers.
When asked, Harmon couldn’t remember the last time she played so little. She loves being on the floor but said she also values the chance to support teammates when they go to work.
“I like to play, but I’m grateful to be able to just be out there to support my teammates, be that cheerleader that they need on the bench,” Harmon said. “(I’m) just happy to see my teammates on the court at that time do really well.”
Against Ole Miss, Texas leaned heavily on its midrange and perimeter shooting to offset defensive struggles. Against Auburn, the team utilized the paint play, which resulted in 58 points and relied on a relentless defense that carried the day, highlighting the team’s offensive versatility and the importance of complementary basketball.
The Longhorns forced 26 turnovers, shot-clock violations and rushed shots. The quick transition from defense to offense worked for Texas, converting Auburn’s turnovers into 40 points.
Head coach Vic Schaefer has rotated junior forward Breya Cunningham and senior center Kyla Oldacre at the five throughout the season, with both capable of starting. In his search for continuity through substitution, the duo delivered, as Oldacre led the team with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Cunningham added 15 points.
“I think both those kids play off each other,” Schaefer said. “It’s nice to have that two-headed monster, man, (I’m) just telling you you’re going to need it in the big ones. (They give) you a chance every night.”
Alongside sophomore guard Jordan Lee, forward Justice Carlton has emerged as another integral second-year. Schaefer has emphasized wanting maturity and consistency from his underclassmen, and Carlton delivered both against the Tigers.
Carlton, who has battled injuries this season and last, was second on the team, scoring 17 points in 22 minutes. The power forward position has been a question mark due to injuries, but if Carlton continues to play similarly, she will establish reliability on that part of the offense.
“I thought Justice was really special,” Schaefer said. “Early on, she came ready to play. That’s the challenge that I have with her, is just the consistency piece. Because I think when you get that from her every night, it changes our team.”
The Longhorns needed a dominant win heading into a gauntlet of road games against ranked opponents. Texas will travel to Baton Rouge to face No. 12 LSU before heading to Columbia four days later to play No. 3 South Carolina.
Texas already defeated South Carolina in November, and LSU is 1–2 in conference play, but back-to-back SEC road games present a tough challenge regardless of past results. In a conference loaded with talent, any matchup can swing either way — and often comes down to the final minutes.
