FORT WORTH, Texas - Madison Booker reminded everyone why she was a preseason AP All-American on Sunday afternoon. The sophomore forward put together a commanding performance with 27 points and eight rebounds, leading No.
2 Texas to an emphatic 89-54 win over No. 13 Baylor in a clash of former conference foes.
Texas is now 12-0 on the season, and they made sure to keep that perfect record intact with a first-quarter blitz that Baylor never recovered from. The Longhorns ripped off a 16-0 run early in the game, a stretch that showcased just how deep and disruptive this team can be. Six different players scored during that run, while Baylor coughed up the ball six times in just over four and a half minutes.
The Bears struggled to find any rhythm offensively, and the turnover bug bit hard - 30 giveaways, a season high and their most in a game since 2008. Texas capitalized in a big way, turning those mistakes into 42 points. That kind of conversion rate speaks volumes about Texas’ defensive pressure and their ability to get out in transition.
Baylor’s day got even tougher midway through the second quarter when leading scorer Taliah Scott went down with a right foot injury after a drive to the basket. She didn’t return, and her absence was felt immediately.
Without their offensive centerpiece, the Bears leaned on Yuting Deng, Marcayla Johnson, and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who each tried to steady the ship. Deng and Johnson both finished with nine points, while Littlepage-Buggs pulled down 14 rebounds.
But Texas never let up.
Jordan Lee was a spark plug on both ends, pouring in 19 points and setting the tone early with back-to-back steals that flipped the momentum. Her first swipe led to a foul and a free throw to tie the game at 11. Seconds later, she picked off another pass and raced coast-to-coast for a layup that gave Texas the lead for good.
Then came Rory Harmon, doing what she does best - orchestrating the offense with poise and pace. Harmon finished with 12 points and 10 assists, notching yet another double-double and helping Texas stretch the lead beyond reach.
Her three-point play during that decisive first-quarter run made it 23-11, and from there, the Longhorns never looked back. They maintained a double-digit cushion the rest of the way.
This was a statement win for Texas, not just because of the final score, but because of how thoroughly they controlled the game against a top-15 opponent. They’re now 5-0 against ranked teams this season - and doing it with a mix of star power, depth, and defensive intensity that’s hard to match.
Sunday’s matchup carried some extra weight, too. These programs share a long history, dating back to their days in the Southwest Conference and more recently as Big 12 rivals. But with Texas now in the SEC, meetings like this one are no longer guaranteed - which made the Longhorns’ dominant showing all the more meaningful.
Up next, Baylor will look to regroup as they wrap up nonconference play at home on Thursday against Southern University. Meanwhile, Texas will put its 32-game home winning streak on the line Wednesday when they host Northwestern State.
If this game was any indication, the Longhorns are just getting warmed up.