Texas assistant coach Elana Lovato delivered a strong message to head coach Vic Schaefer last month after the Longhorns suffered a 17-point defeat to South Carolina.
“She looked at me and said, ‘We’ll beat them in a month,’” Schaefer recalled Sunday. “And that’s the absolute truth.”
The fourth-ranked Longhorns capitalized on their national TV spotlight on Super Bowl Sunday, defeating No. 2 South Carolina 66-62 in a rematch that snapped the Gamecocks’ 57-game regular-season SEC winning streak, which had stood since December 2021.
The Longhorns’ win created a three-way tie at the top of the SEC standings with South Carolina and LSU, each holding a 10-1 record.
South Carolina (22-2) had been on a 17-game winning streak since falling to top-ranked UCLA on Nov. 24. The Gamecocks came in confident, with head coach Dawn Staley wearing a Super Bowl sweatshirt to support her hometown Philadelphia Eagles, who later dominated the Chiefs in New Orleans to claim the NFL title.
Madison Booker led Texas with 20 points, while Rori Harmon sank two clutch free throws in the closing seconds, sealing the Longhorns’ eighth consecutive victory and 20th straight home win since January 2024.
As always, Staley took a broader perspective on the sport.
“Fantastic atmosphere,” Staley said. “It’s great for women’s basketball and probably great for TV. A close game like this is great for the sport—it’s just unfortunate that someone had to lose.”
In their first matchup with South Carolina, Texas (24-2) struggled, shooting a season-low 28 percent. But on Sunday, the Longhorns bounced back, shooting 44 percent. They also dominated the boards, outrebounding the Gamecocks 42-35, while outscoring them 40-26 in the paint and 19-12 in second-chance points.
“Winning that game took incredible toughness,” Schaefer said. “They earned it. I don’t need to tell you how good the team we faced today is. In my opinion, they’re the best team in the country—no disrespect to UCLA.”
In Texas’ earlier loss to South Carolina, Booker struggled, making just 3 of 19 shots. However, she performed better in the rematch against the Gamecocks’ tough defense, shooting 7 of 22 and securing 11 rebounds, including a crucial one late in the game.
It’s my job to rebound,” Booker said. “I should be down there.”
Booker, a sophomore, isn’t just Texas’ top player—she’s also the most versatile. Originally a natural small forward, the 6-foot-1 Booker transitioned to point guard last season after Harmon suffered a season-ending knee injury. With Texas recently losing starting power forward Aaliyah Moore to a knee injury, Booker has stepped up as a more active rebounder.
She was a beast on the boards,” Staley said.
Texas centers Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre contributed a total of 24 points and 12 rebounds.
That’s my two-headed monster,” Schaefer said.
Schaefer proudly put them on display for a national audience.
“It makes me really happy to be a part of that,” Harmon said. “The history and just this movement with women’s basketball. To be able to have this game, like a little pre [Super Bowl] game. I think that’s so cool.”
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