Head coach Vic Schaefer subbed out junior forward Madison Booker with 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter after she committed her first foul of the game. The Mississippi State Bulldogs were in a position to hold for the final shot of the half.
But senior center Kyla Oldacre and sophomore guard Bryanna Preston changed that.
Oldacre’s pressure near half court forced a dangerous pass that Preston collapsed on to summon the possession arrow. With less than two seconds left, it became Texas’ ball.
Booker reentered the game, received a lofted inbounds pass from graduate guard Rori Harmon and, without a dribble or any hesitation, drained a deep three as the game clock lit up. Smiles on the court and roars from the stands radiated Moody Center as the Longhorns filed into the tunnel, ahead 50-18 on the scoreboard.
The sequence served as an effective culmination of the first half for Schaefer’s team. Texas went 8-12 from three-point range and 56.7% from the field in all, while holding Mississippi State to eight total field goals and forcing 17 turnovers.
Much of the same story occurred in the second half, and the Longhorns went on to defeat the Bulldogs 92-42 on Sunday afternoon. The game marked the third-most points that the Longhorns have scored and the third-least points they’ve given up throughout their 2025-26 Southeastern Conference campaign.
“As I told (Mississippi State) coach (Sam Purcell), they just ran into a really good, well-oiled machine today,” Schaefer said postgame about his team. “We played really well, played well defensively, executed on offense, we made shots. So, it’s good to see us finally doing that, because I’ve been seeing it in practice, and then these kids put in the work. This just doesn’t happen by osmosis.”
The defensive intensity shown is nothing new for Texas. Physicality is the name of the game for Schaefer’s team, underscoring the high standards of toughness that Schaefer requires from his players.
Yet, on the flip side, three-point shooting has not been a hallmark of the Longhorns’ success. In fact, it hasn’t needed to be. Last month, Texas shot 1-18 from long range in a 45-point win over Texas A&M. But now, in two straight blowouts of Arkansas and Mississippi State, the Longhorns have seen perimeter shooting become a strength, a promising and notable development heading into March.
Sophomore guard Jordan Lee, freshman guard Aaliyah Crump, and Booker all sank multiple threes to lead in that department.
“We’re just confident and are willing to let it go and let it fly,” Harmon said. “It’s really nice to see. It makes my job a little bit easier, gives me a little bit more assists too. This is what we want to play like, not as far as just shooting the threes, but today’s game (overall).”
Sunday’s contest is Texas’ penultimate regular-season home game, with both its senior day and alumni weekend celebrations. Bevo was present outside the entrance of Moody Center, which welcomed over 10,000 fans for the fifth time this season. Still, Texas was all business on the court to secure its 26th win.
“Today, there’s so many distractions, so many things going on, and it’s such a special day,” Schaefer said. “To see our kids really focused today was really cool for me.”
