After cruising to an 88-68 road win over Florida on Thursday night, No. 4 Texas isn’t resting on its laurels. With a brutal stretch of five straight ranked opponents looming, head coach Vic Schaefer made it clear: the victory in Gainesville was nice, but it’s time to lock in.
“I’m going to take that win and run with it,” Schaefer said after the Longhorns improved to 20-2 overall and 5-2 in SEC play. “It’s a road win in the SEC. Now, we’ve got to go home and protect our home court.”
That home court will be center stage this Sunday, when Texas hosts No. 10 Oklahoma at 2 p.m.
CT in the always-heated Red River Showdown. The matchup headlines a marquee day in Austin, with ESPN’s Women’s College GameDay in town and the national spotlight shining on the Moody Center-where Texas is a perfect 13-0 this season.
But this isn’t just about one rivalry game. It’s the beginning of a 15-day gauntlet that includes five straight games against AP Top 25 teams: No.
10 Oklahoma, No. 6 LSU (Feb.
5), No. 18 Kentucky (Feb.
9), No. 5 Vanderbilt (Feb. 12), and No.
15 Tennessee (Feb. 15).
That’s a stretch that would test any team’s depth and focus, let alone one navigating injuries and the grind of SEC play.
“It’s a nightmare of a league,” Schaefer said. “And you’ve got to be ready.
The SEC has 10 teams in the Top 25 right now. That’s why I’m so proud of my staff-they get these kids ready with a scout.
These kids will tell you, we don’t miss too many things in a scouting report.”
Sunday’s matchup will also showcase two of the most electric freshmen in the country: Texas’ Aaliyah Crump and Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez. Both came into college carrying sky-high expectations-Chavez was the No. 3 prospect in espnW’s 2025 recruiting rankings, Crump was No. 5-and both are starting to find their rhythm on the big stage.
Crump, averaging 13.1 points per game, missed 15 games earlier this season with a stress fracture in her foot but returned to action on Jan. 18.
Chavez, meanwhile, has had her ups and downs, particularly during a recent three-game skid where she shot just 28.8% from the field. But she bounced back in a major way, dropping 26 points-15 of them in overtime-in a statement win over then-No.
2 South Carolina.
“She was great,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said of Chavez after that game. “She ran her team. She hit big shots, delivered the ball-everything you want your point guard to do.”
Crump and Chavez go way back, having competed against each other in elite high school showcases like the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Classic, and the Nike Hoop Summit.
“Obviously, she was one of the best players in our class,” Crump said of Chavez. “She’s a great person and a great player.”
Texas had to shake off a bit of rust in Gainesville after an 11-day layoff caused by an ice storm that postponed their game at Arkansas. But once the ball tipped, the Longhorns looked sharp.
Junior All-American Madison Booker led the charge with 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting, adding six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Crump, in just her third game back, added 14 points on an efficient 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-4 from deep.
And then there was Rori Harmon-the heartbeat of this team. The fifth-year senior point guard didn’t light up the box score, but her impact was undeniable: eight points, four boards, five assists, just one turnover, and relentless defense that helped force nine turnovers from Florida’s leading scorer Liv McGill, who came in averaging 22.6 points but was held to 15 on 6-of-16 shooting.
“Rori was unbelievable,” Schaefer said. “She ran my team and kept McGill from going off, and that’s not easy to do.”
The extended break before the Florida game gave the Longhorns a rare chance to rest-something Schaefer didn’t take lightly.
“I was worried about the layoff,” he admitted. “But I also know how many minutes Madison, Rori, and Jordan Lee played while we were without Crump and Bryanna Preston. So, I think for some of these kids, the time off was probably needed.”
Now, the energy shifts back to Austin, where the buzz is building-not just for Sunday’s showdown, but for what it represents. College GameDay coming to town is more than just a media event. It’s a symbol of how far this program has come under Schaefer’s leadership.
“I’m excited that they chose us,” Schaefer said. “I think it’s a great compliment to our program, our players, and where we are.”
And where they are is a long way from where they started.
“Six years ago, when we got here, we had 1,500 or 2,000 people in the Drum [Erwin Center], and that was like playing in the Grand Canyon,” Schaefer recalled. “I think we had 1,100 season ticket holders at the time.
Six years later, we’re sold out with 6,500 season ticket holders. Part of building your program is building your fan base, and we appreciate our fans so much.”
The next two weeks will test everything Texas has built-its depth, its toughness, its belief. But if Thursday night was any indication, this team is ready for the fight.