No. 4 Texas women's basketball traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in their final regular-season game of the year. It was a huge game for the Longhorns because of the seeding in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, which will be announced this week. The Longhorns got off to a rough start, only leading by two at the end of the first quarter. As the game progressed, the Longhorns picked up steam and went on to beat the Crimson Tide 72-65.
While it wasn't the game that Vic Schaefer wanted headed into the SEC tournament, give credit for Alabama to make the Longhorns work for the win. That was probably the most tightly-contested game outside of LSU and South Carolina that Texas has had in conference play. However, there's nothing like a little competition to help the Longhorns prepare for this massive tournament coming up.
Here are four takeaways from today's win over the Crimson Tide:
your last five starters of the regular season 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/QM7MLX2aAH
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 1, 2026
1. It was a very close first half
Texas and Alabama went back and forth in the first half of the game, and I'm sure it was a lot closer than what Vic Schaefer wanted it to be at halftime. Give credit to Alabama for showing up today and slowing down the Longhorns. Texas needed someone to contest them heading into the SEC Tournament this upcoming week. This was the perfect warm-up game before the Longhorns find out which seed they will be and their potential opponent.
.@JayMayya applying pressure 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/Lg0cfurjXT
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 1, 2026
2. Madison Booker's jump shot is really lethal
The Crimson Tide couldn't stop Madison Booker's lethal jump shot this afternoon. She led the team with 21 points today. That's what makes Booker so special when she gets inside the paint. Her shot reminds me a lot of Kevin Durant's when he was at Texas. It must be that number 35 that Booker wears that's giving her that lethal shot. It's a disgrace that she probably won't win SEC Player of the Year. That's okay with me because when she doesn't get the recognition that she deserves, teams better watch out for her.
back-to-back buckets for @MaddiewitdaB_ makes 1️⃣8️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ career points 🤘🤯#HookEm pic.twitter.com/3fmbomczl1
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 1, 2026
3. I'm not a huge fan of the Longhorns' turnovers today
Usually, I let it go if the Longhorns win, but since we are about to begin the SEC Conference tournament, I have to bring it up. Having more than ten turnovers against the Crimson Tide is bad. I'm trying not sound like a stickler, but you don't know how many possessions you are going to get in a basketball game. Sometimes basketball games are decided by one or two possessions. Luckily for the Longhorns, they pulled off the win this afternoon. Let's cut down on the turnovers heading into this week.
4. 4th quarter collapse
Let's not make the fourth quarter collapse a recurring event. That's not what you want going into March, especially if you end up becoming one of the top seeds in the conference tournament. While the Longhorns came away with the win this afternoon, they can't allow their opponent to get back in the game down the stretch in the fourth quarter. I'm sure Schaefer is grilling them for only winning by seven. I have a lot to think about for my tournament preview articles. Stay tuned to Hookem Headlines for more on the SEC women's basketball tournament coming up.